With the early planting season well underway, the pace of planting corn and spring wheat is far ahead of last year and the past 5-year average. Winter wheat progress is also ahead of the average pace.

For the 18 states that accounted for 92% of last year’s corn acreage, 17% of the crop is in the ground, according to yesterday’s USDA Crop Progress report. This puts it ahead of the 5% average acres planted between 2007 and 2011 on this date.  Last year at this time, 5% of the corn acreage had been planted.

Winter Wheat

The ag agency also reported for the 18 states that planted 88% of the 2011 winter wheat acreage in the U.S., 29% of the crop is headed. Current crop progress remains well ahead of the average of the 2007-2011 period of 8% headed at this time of the year, as well as the 11% headed at this time last year. According to USDA, roughly 61% of the crop is in “good” or “excellent” condition, ahead of the 58% in “good” or “excellent” condition last week. At this time last year, 36% of the winter wheat crop was in “good” or “excellent” condition.

Spring Wheat

For the 6 states that planted 98% of last year’s spring wheat acreage in the U.S., 10% of the crop is emerged. The current crop progress is well ahead of the average of the 2007-2011 period of 1% emerged at this time of the year, as well as the 1% emerged at this time last year.