Rain around the US Midwest again delayed the seeding of spring crops, pushing soyabean planting to its slowest pace in 17 years and slowing the final stretch of corn planting, analysts said early Tuesday. Soyabean planting was seen 42 percent complete as of May 26, according to the average of estimates in a Reuters survey of 11 analysts.
That would be the slowest pace for late May since 1996, when soya planting was 35 percent complete. The five-year average for late May is 61 percent. A week ago, farmers had finished 24 percent of their soyabean planting. For corn, analysts estimated planting at 86 percent complete, up 15 percentage points from a week earlier. Farmers were still behind the five-year average of 95 percent despite planting the most acreage ever in the week ended May 19.
Analysts' estimates for corn ranged from 85 to 90 percent while soyabean estimates were between 35 and 47 percent. The US Agriculture Department will release its weekly update on planting progress at 3 pm CDT (2000 GMT) on Tuesday. Rain and muddy fields throughout April and early May slowed US corn planting to the slowest pace ever before their record push from May 12 to May 19 put them closer to a typical schedule.