USDA's crop progress report for the week ended April 25 reported 7% of corn crops planted, less than the 16% reported planted by this time in 2021. The 5-year average for corn planted in this week is 15%. Texas led among the top 18 corn planting states with 69% of its total corn crop planted.

Texas was so far ahead in planting that more than half of its corn was reported as emerged.

Soybean plantings remained in single digits for most states. About 3% of soybeans have been planted, according to the report. That's down from the 7% of soybeans the agency said had been planted at this time last year. The 5-year average for soybeans planted at this time is 5%.

One reason for the lower progress figures this season might be recent bouts of wet weather. While the number of days available for field work nears or exceeds the previous year's figure, the USDA reports 16% of farmers in 48 states report surplus topsoil moisture this year compared with 7% last year. At the subsoil level, 12% of farmers report surplus moisture compared with 5% last year.

The same report showed 12% of cotton and 19% of sorghum have been planted so far this year.

The full report is available online.

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