MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (RFD NEWS) — Spring planting is gaining momentum across the country — and even ahead of pace in many parts of farm country — with the latest USDA Crop Progress report showing corn and soybean planting running ahead of historical averages.
The report indicates 11 percent of the U.S. corn crop is now planted, slightly ahead of the five-year average of 9 percent, with eight states already reporting emergence. Soybean planting is also moving quickly, with 12 percent of the crop in the ground—well ahead of the 5 percent average.
Meanwhile, spring wheat planting stands at 12 percent, in line with the typical pace.
Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities joined us on Tuesday’s Market Day Report to break down the latest crop progress numbers and what they signal for the season ahead.
In his interview with RFD NEWS, Williamson shared his key takeaways from the report, noting that planting progress is off to a strong start in many areas as growers take advantage of favorable conditions. He also discussed what he is hearing from farmers across the country, including how planting decisions are being shaped by current field conditions and market dynamics.
Finally, Williamson addressed the impact of ongoing geopolitical events on input prices and availability, explaining how these pressures could influence planting decisions and the broader growing season.
Staffing cuts at the National Agricultural Statistics Service are raising new concerns about the reliability of government data, after the agency’s workforce was reduced by roughly one-third.
One cooperative manager says the loss of both entry-level and senior staff could impact the accuracy of key reports. Analyst Brian Irey warns that limited coverage may make it harder to arrive at reliable numbers, particularly in major commodities like corn.
“I don’t think that they have the coverage that they need to be able to arrive at accurate numbers. The corn balance sheet is a mess. It is an absolute disaster,” Irey said. “Feed demand, in my opinion, in the current balance sheet, is overestimated by 400 to 500 million bushels. And it comes down to when they determine those numbers, there is a percentage that generally goes into every bucket, whether it’s ethanol, exports, feed, and residual. And I think what they’ve done is — very large crop last year, very large supply — they’ve just kept dumping into those buckets when we don’t have the animal units to feed the amount of corn that they’re projecting. And it’s going to come back and impact the market at some point.”
Irey adds that inventories remain elevated, with USDA estimating about 200 million more bushels of corn in Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas than a year ago, while cattle on feed have increased by only about 25,000 head — an imbalance he says could weigh on prices.
Meanwhile, the USDA is launching a new initiative to improve confidence in agricultural data and innovation. The agency is working with Grand Farm to test emerging technologies in real-world farming and ranching conditions.
Leaders involved in the effort say a major focus is helping producers evaluate new tools — from AI-powered weed detection to drone-based applications — in a transparent, science-based environment.
“One of our largest pain points that we talk with our producers is around weed-resistant herbicides,” a Grand Farm representative said. “What we want to be able to do is understand the landscape of the problem and then invite companies to demonstrate that technology so the grower can see how it works — and how it doesn’t — for their operation.”
Organizers say the broader “National Proving Grounds” network will connect farms, research institutions, and private companies across the country to accelerate innovation and build trust in ag technology solutions.
“This is a model that has been tested, and it works,” the representative added. “By connecting these efforts nationwide, we can focus resources on key challenges and speed up the development of solutions for producers.”
The initiative will also include collaboration with USDA research agencies and land-grant universities, as the department works to strengthen both data reliability and on-farm decision-making tools.
