U.S. crops heading for silos

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the corn harvest is 15 percent done nationally with state-to-state progress ranging from none to 82 percent. Among the 18 most significant corn-producing states, farmers in North Dakota are reporting the harvest is less than 1 percent complete. In North Carolina, it is 82 percent complete. Eleven of the 18 states are reporting corn less than 10 percent harvested. On the flip side of the coin, Illinois reports the harvest is 22 percent done, while Kansas and Kentucky report better than 40 percent of the harvest is in, and Missouri, Tennessee and Texas report better than 50 percent of the harvest is done. In California, Virgina, Kansas and Oklahoma, farmers are reporting the harvest less than 1 percent of the cotton crop is harvested. Cotton is 3 percent harvested in Missouri, 4 percent done in Alabama and 6 percent done in Georgia and Arkansas. On the other hand, among the 15 largest cotton-producing states, Louisiana leads the way with the harvest 63 percent done. Nationally, the soybean harvest is just under way in most major soybean producing states, but 67 percent done in Louisiana and 36 percent done in Mississippi. The rice harvest is nearly complete in Louisiana and Texas, 98 percent and 99 percent done, respectively. It is lagging in California, where the rice harvest is 6 percent done. As it does every year, the harvest is putting pressure on grain prices. Despite storage capabilities, having storage units fill up puts downward pressure on commodity prices. The spring wheat harvest is 96 percent done nationally, the USDA said.