The US corn and soybean harvest fell further behind, as rain reduced access to fields but also ended weeks of declining crop conditions ratings.
The US corn and soybean harvest advanced slightly during the week ending 28 September, but failed to move quickly enough to remain ahead of the the five-year average pace. US corn reached 18pc harvested, while soybeans reached 19pc, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, both falling 1pc behind the five-year average rate.
The US corn harvest has become most delayed in Kansas, where it was 13 percentage points behind the five-year average at the close of the week, but was also behind pace in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.
The soybean harvest delay was more widespread, reaching from Texas through North Dakota, as well as extending into Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The largest harvesting delay was reported in North Dakota, which reached only 8pc complete by the end of the week, 15 points behind the five-year average. The South Dakota and Nebraska harvests were also substantially delayed, behind the five-year average pace by 9pc and 13pc, respectively.
Following four consecutive weeks of decline, the share of US corn rated in good-to-excellent condition stabilized at 66pc. Some states across the corn belt did see crop condition ratings drop by 1pc on the week, but those losses were offset by a 3 percentage point improvement in Missouri, which was rated as 77pc in good-to-excellent conditions, as well as smaller gains in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.
US soybeans also ended their downward trend, increasing from the prior week by 1 percentage point to 62pc in good-to-excellent condition. As with corn, soybean crop conditions fell during the week in Iowa, down 1 percentage point to 73pc in good-to-excellent condition. Conditions also declined in Wisconsin during the week, although the state remained 10pc points ahead of the five-year average at 79pc in good-to-excellent conditions.
Outside of those two states, crop conditions were generally better across the US corn belt, with Michigan up 4 points from the prior week to 44pc in good-to-excellent conditions.
