Crop Conditions Deteriorating, Still 68% of Corn, 65% of Soybeans Rated Good to Excellent

Aug 22, 2018

The USDA's national good to excellent ratings for corn and soybeans both declined modestly over the past week. Some of the drier parts of the U.S. Midwest saw only scattered rainfall over the weekend, but condition ratings typically decline as crops get closer to harvest and both corn and beans remain in better shape than this time last year.

As of Sunday, 68% of U.S. corn is rated good to excellent, 2% lower than last week, but up 6% from last year, with 85% at the dough making stage and 44% dented, both ahead of their respective five-year averages of 72% and 26%.

65% of U.S. soybeans are called good to excellent, 1% less than a week ago, but 6% more than a year ago with 91% in the pod setting stage, compared to 83% on average.

74% of U.S. spring wheat is in good to excellent condition, down 1% on the week, but up 40% on the year, with 60% of the crop harvested, compared to the usual pace of 44%.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.