US corn planting seen 31 percent complete, slowed by rain

US corn planting likely remained well behind last year's pace as heavy rain across the Midwest and snow in the US Plains during the weekend hindered farmers' attempts to seed, analysts said on Monday.
The weather also likely weighed on crop ratings for the hard red winter wheat crop in the US Plains as it headed toward maturity. Analysts expected a US Agriculture Department report on Monday afternoon to show that 31 percent of corn seeding had been completed as of April 30, according to an average of estimates by seven analysts. Estimates in the Reuters survey ranged from 29 percent to 35 percent. The corn crop was 17 percent planted as of April 23, the USDA said in its last progress report. A year ago, corn planting was 45 percent finished.