A week ago corn planting was running behind schedule but thanks to the very latest precision technology corn farmers are now 17% ahead of the five year average with 55% of the crop in the ground, according to the latest crop progress report. The phenomenal progress included an increase of 38% in Nebraska and Illinois, 41% more in Missouri, 45% in Minnesota and an additional 54% of the acreage in Iowa.

I caught up with our friend Martin Barbre, Chairman of the National Corn Growers Association, who says he is close to 75% planted on his farm in Carmi, Illinois. “We’ve got guys all the way from 50 percent to 100 percent done,” he said. “Things are really rolling good.”

Barbre adds that the latest precision farming technology helps farmers take advantage of the weather windows when they happen quickly and makes them more sustainable as well.

Listen to my interview with Martin here: Interview with NCGA Chairman Martin Barbre of Illinois