Crop progress: Corn quality takes a step up

FPFF - Tue Jun 16, 6:25AM CDT

USDA’s latest crop progress report, out Monday afternoon and covering the week through June 14, showed some mild improvements to corn and soybean quality ratings, with each crop trending a point higher. Winter wheat quality also improved this past week, although overall ratings remain dismal. Harvest progress is now a quarter complete, meantime.

Corn quality shifted a point higher in the week ending June 14, with 68% now rated in good-to-excellent condition. A survey of analysts by Bloomberg matched USDA’s official number, with individual trade guesses ranging between 65% and 70%. Another 26% of the crop is rated fair (down one point from last week), with the remaining 6% rated poor or very poor (unchanged from last week). 

Physiologically, 94% of the crop is now emerged, up from 86% in the prior week. That puts 2026 slightly ahead of 2025’s pace and the prior five-year average, both at 93%.

Soybean quality ratings also improved a point this past week, with 66% in good-to-excellent condition through Sunday. That mirrored analyst expectations, with individual trade guesses ranging between 64% and 68%. Another 28% of the crop is rated fair (down one point from last week), with the remaining 6% rated poor or very poor (unchanged from last week). 

Plantings are nearly complete, with progress reaching 95% through June 14. That’s up from 92% in the prior week and a bit ahead of the prior five-year average of 93%. Emergence reached 88%, versus the prior five-year average of 82%.

Winter wheat quality saw a two-point improvement this past week, with 27% of the crop now rated in good-to-excellent condition. That was better than analysts were expecting after predicting ratings would hold steady. Another 28% of the crop is rated fair (down one point from last week), with the remaining 45% rated poor or very poor (also down one point from last week).

Physiologically, nearly all (95%) of the crop is now headed, up from 92% a week ago and faster than the prior five-year average of 91%. Harvest has reached 25% completion, up from 11% last week and well ahead of the prior five-year average of 13%.

Spring wheat quality ratings jumped another three points higher this past week, with 55% of the crop now in good-to-excellent condition. Another 39% of the crop is rated fair (down one point from last week), with the remaining 6% rated poor or very poor (steady from last week). Ninety-five percent of the crop is now emerged, with 6% of the crop now headed.

Click here for more data from today’s report, including a state-by-state look at topsoil and subsoil moisture, days suitable for fieldwork and more.