Farmers have harvested about 6 percent of the U.S. soybean crop
The 2024 harvest season is underway for some U.S. soybean producers.
About 6 percent of total U.S. soybean acres have been harvested as of Sept. 15, the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin says.
Recalling that U.S. farmers planted about around 86.1 million acres of soybeans in 2024, that means growers have combined about 5.16 million acres of the crop.
To put that number into perspective, farmers in South Dakota planted about 5.1 million acres of soybeans in 2024.
Louisiana farmers are the furthest ahead with 46 percent of their state soybean acres harvested.
About 69 percent of the state’s crop is rated as good, with 4 percent considered excellent, the USDA’s report says.
Only one state, Kansas, is reporting no soybean harvest progress as of the USDA’s Sept. 15 report.
At this time last year farmers in the state had harvested about 3 percent of their soybean crop.
U.S. corn harvest is continuing.
About 9 percent of the national corn crop is in the bin, up from 5 percent last week.
Farmers planted around 91.5 million acres of corn in 2024, meaning they’ve harvested about 8.24 million acres thus far.
Putting that figure into context, Minnesota farmers planted about 8.1 million acres of corn this year.
Farmers in Texas have harvested the most corn as of Sept. 15.
Growers in the Lone Star State are 80 percent through their harvest, with 33 percent of the crop rated as good and 8 percent considered excellent.
Farmers in three states, Colorado, North Dakota and Wisconsin, report no corn harvest progress as of the USDA’s report.
And farmers continue to plant their winter wheat acres.
American producers have planted about 14 percent of the 2024 winter wheat crop, the USDA reports.
With total winter wheat estimates at 33.8 million acres in 2024, this means farmers have planted around 4.73 million acres of winter wheat.
For context, Oklahoma farmers intend to plant 4.35 million acres of winter wheat in 2024.
Farmers in Washington are the furthest along, reporting 43 percent of the state’s winter wheat crop planted.
Of the 18 states surveyed, only California is reporting no winter wheat planting progress, the USDA’s report says.