USDA crop progress: corn harvest hits 60% as soybeans pass average

American corn growers had harvested 60% of the 2026 crop by Sunday, Oct. 25, up 16 points in one week but still behind the five-year average of 66%, according to USDA's weekly Crop Progress report.

The gap is narrowing. Favorable weather across most production regions let combines cover ground quickly, and the biggest corn states in the South have effectively finished: Tennessee stands at 98% harvested, North Carolina at 96% and Texas at 95% among the top 18 production states.

What do the quality ratings show?

Condition scores moved only marginally in the week through Oct. 25. USDA rated 56% of the corn crop good to excellent, unchanged in substance from the prior week.

About 26% of the crop rated fair, down 1 point, while 18% rated poor or very poor, up 1 point. For buyers watching dry-down and test weight, the message is stability: the late-season crop is finishing without a sharp deterioration in condition.

How fast did soybeans move?

The soybean harvest jumped from 64% a week ago to 79% complete through Sunday. That puts beans slightly ahead of the five-year average of 77% after a week of solid progress.

Mississippi leads the top 18 production states at 98% harvested, with Minnesota at 93% and Arkansas at 91%. Growers in those states are turning attention to fall tillage, fertilizer applications and winter wheat drilling behind the drills.

What about the other fall crops?

Regional harvests accelerated sharply across the board:

• Cotton: 52% harvested, up from 41% last week
• Sorghum: 56%, up from 46%
• Peanuts: 51%, up from 39%
• Sugarbeets: 75%, up from 55%
• Sunflowers: 46%, up from 24%

Sunflowers posted the largest weekly gain at 22 points, a pace that clears backlog concerns in the northern plains.

How is winter wheat planting progressing?

Winter wheat plantings rose from 63% to 76% complete through Sunday, nearly matching the five-year average of 77%. Emergence has crossed the halfway mark at 53%, just 1 point behind the average of 54%.

Progress varies widely across the top 18 production states. North Carolina has planted only 24%, while Washington has planted 98%. Growers in slow states will need a stretch of open weather in early November to hit the average pace.

What should farmers watch next?

USDA will publish only a few more weekly progress reports before the season wraps up. Each remaining release will carry extra weight for basis levels and cash marketing decisions, because the weekly data stream ends soon.

The next report will show whether corn closes the 6-point gap to the five-year average and whether the remaining winter wheat acres go in before soils cool. Growers can also track state-by-state topsoil and subsoil moisture, days suitable for fieldwork and other data points in the full USDA Crop Progress report.