This afternoon, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board reported that U.S. corn plantings continue to lag far behind planting progress in 2012 and the 5-year average.

According to NASS, only 5% of corn was planted in the 18 states that accounted for 92% of 2012 corn acreage as of April 28. This is up only 1% from the previous week.

Last year at this time 49% of corn was in the ground. Of the biggest corn producing states — Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska — only Missouri is showing any real progress at 13% of corn planted. The rest are at 1% or less.