Many planters around the Corn Belt were sitting idle last week as wet weather continued to delay planting progress at the start of the season, much to the dismay of farmers anxious to get into the fields.

The latest crop progress report from USDA this week shows corn planting progress at six percent falling behind last year at this time and the five-year average. Progress is ahead of schedule in Texas at 60 percent planted now, but Kansas is well behind at just nine percent when the average is twice that. Illinois at six percent is half the average and Missouri has only 17 percent of the crop planted compared to the average of 25 percent and last year’s record progress at this time when over half of the crop was already in the ground.

Cotton planting is running right around the five year average at eight percent and sorghum is also about average at 21 percent.