Corn harvests in 2019 are still behind both last year’s progress and their 5 year average, according to the most recent USDA crop progress report. Soybean harvests have caught up with last year’s harvest and remain just 3% behind the 5 year average. Sunflower harvests are dramatically behind their usual progress, due to severe delays in harvests in both North and South Dakota.

Exactly 84% of corn harvests from the top 18 corn producing states were in as of Nov. 24, with 9% behind their harvest progress this time last year (93%) and 12% below the 5 year average of 96% harvested. Notably behind states included Michigan at 56% harvested, North Dakota at 30%, South Dakota at 68% and Wisconsin at 57%.

Soybean harvest progress remains on track with last year at 94% completed as of Nov. 24, just 3% behind the 5 year average of 97% harvested. One state, Kentucky, has surpassed both last year’s harvest progress (79%) and the 5 year average (89%), achieving 92% harvested this week.

Cotton harvests remain a healthy distance ahead of last year’s progress (68%) and the 5 year average (74%) at 78% harvested. Just 5 states of the 15 states that harvested 99% of last year’s cotton (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) fell behind their 5 year averages this week, with the other 10 states exceeding their averages.

Sorghum harvests were reported as nearly complete this week at 97% harvested (compared to 88% this time last year and the 5 year average of 92%). Peanut harvests are similarly close to concluding with 96% harvested (compared to 90% this time last year and the 5 year average of 94%).

Sunflowers remain the most severely behind in their harvest at just 56% harvested this week. This falls well below the 76% harvested this time last year and the 5 year average of 89% harvested. Of the 4 states that made up 86% of last year’s sunflower harvest, this disparity comes from North and South Dakota, which this week are reporting 41% and 60% of their sunflowers harvested, respectively, well behind their respective 5 year averages of 90% and 89%. The other two states are ahead on their harvests, Colorado at 97% and Kansas at 94%.

The USDA noted that, while the Nov. 25 report was scheduled to be the last crop progress report for 2019, the late harvest has prompted them to continue reporting on crop conditions. According to the USDA, NASS will monitor harvest progress for all crops this week and determine when to conclude reporting.