RFD-TV Weekly Crop Progress and Livestock Production Update

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Harvest is gaining momentum across much of the country, but producers are entering the season with sharply different moisture conditions and substantially higher fuel costs.

USDA’s latest available Crop Progress report covers the week ending September 6; the next report is scheduled for release later today, September 14. National diesel averaged $5.967 per gallon on September 7, adding another cost to combines, trucks, irrigation, and livestock movement.

Dryness remains one of the largest dividing lines. USDA rated 53% of U.S. pasture and range in poor or very poor condition, compared with 35% a year earlier, while topsoil moisture was short or very short across 55% of reporting acreage. Corn harvest had begun in southern and central states, rice harvest was running well ahead of normal, and spring wheat harvest was nearing completion.

Great Plains

Texas: Corn harvest reached 69%, ahead of the five-year average, while 72% of sorghum was harvested and 18% of cotton was out of the field. The bigger concern remains moisture: 88% of topsoil was short or very short and 60% of pasture was rated poor or very poor, keeping pressure on both crop and cattle operations.
Oklahoma: Sorghum maturity and harvest are running unusually fast, with 54% mature and 32% harvested by September 6. Cotton remains stressed, with 55% rated poor or very poor, while 69% of pasture was in those two categories and 88% of topsoil was short or very short.
Kansas: Corn harvest reached 18%, double the five-year average, while 53% of corn was mature. Moisture remains a constraint: 74% of topsoil was short or very short, and corn, sorghum, and pasture ratings all reflected significant drought stress.
Nebraska: Corn maturity remained behind normal at 14%, while soybeans were generally holding better condition ratings than corn. Nebraska Extension is also warning livestock producers to manage forage carefully, including nitrate risk in stressed annual forages and timing of the final alfalfa cutting.
South Dakota: Corn maturity was ahead of average, but sorghum development remained uneven and pasture stress was severe. USDA rated 61% of pasture poor or very poor and 75% of topsoil short or very short, increasing forage and winter-feed concerns.
North Dakota: Spring wheat harvest reached 86% and barley 93%, both ahead of normal, while soybean leaf drop was also ahead. Dryness remains significant, with 43% of pasture poor or very poor and 60% of topsoil short or very short.
Colorado: Corn development was near normal, but condition ratings remain weak, with more than half the crop rated poor or very poor. Pasture and sorghum are also stressed, while 82% of topsoil was short or very short.

Midwest

Iowa: Corn maturity reached 17%, near the five-year pace, while soybean leaf drop remained slightly behind normal. Crop conditions remain comparatively strong, but producers are watching high fertilizer and fuel costs as harvest preparation accelerates. The Iowa Soybean Association is urging growers to evaluate residual soil fertility before committing to expensive fall inputs.
Illinois: Corn harvest has started, and Extension reports broader maturity developing across the state with some early fields already moving. Northern Illinois continues to show promising soybean pod fill, while disease and standability issues are influencing field-by-field harvest priorities.
Indiana: Corn reached 68% dented and 12% mature, while soybean leaf drop moved slightly ahead of normal. Most corn and soybean ratings remain good, leaving harvest timing and drying costs as increasingly important decisions.
Ohio: Corn development was ahead of normal, with 73% dented and 16% mature, while soybean development tracked the five-year pace. Soil moisture remains relatively favorable compared with much of the country, giving producers more flexibility entering harvest.
Missouri: Corn harvest reached 14%, more than twice the five-year average, while 46% was mature. Rice harvest was near normal, but 60% of topsoil was short or very short, leaving late soybeans and forage under moisture pressure.

Delta & South

Arkansas: Dry weather has pushed soybean and rice harvest at an unusually fast pace. Rice harvest reached 53%, compared with a 31% five-year average, while Extension says soybean harvest is running at a record pace for this point in the season.
Louisiana: Rice harvest reached 90%, ahead of normal, while 82% of soybeans were dropping leaves. Dryness remains notable, with 68% of topsoil short or very short, but most rice and soybean ratings remained in good condition.
Mississippi: Rice harvest reached 53%, well ahead of normal, and soybean development remained advanced. Mississippi State Extension has described corn and soybean yield potential as strong, although late-season dryness is showing up in pasture and soil-moisture ratings.
Tennessee: Corn harvest reached 30%, nearly double the five-year average, while 81% of corn was mature. Soybeans were also progressing rapidly, but farm margins are being squeezed by sharply higher diesel costs as harvest expands.
Kentucky: Corn maturity reached 72% and harvest 19%, both well ahead of average, while soybean leaf drop was also advanced. Pasture conditions were generally better than farther west, although nearly half of topsoil moisture was short or very short.
Alabama: Cotton bolls were opening faster than normal and peanut harvest was beginning. Peanut condition remained mostly good, while pasture held up comparatively well with nearly three-quarters rated good or excellent.
Georgia: Cotton defoliation and peanut maturity decisions are taking center stage. University of Georgia Extension says many early irrigated peanut fields are nearing normal digging windows, while cotton growers are balancing defoliation timing against weather, insects, and the cost of protecting late bolls.
Florida: Peanut harvest reached 6%, while 77% of the crop was rated good. Pasture conditions remain mixed but substantially better than the drought-hit Plains, and wet areas continue to limit some fieldwork.
North Carolina: Corn harvest reached 38%, near normal, but crop condition remains weak after summer stress. Peanuts were mostly good, while cotton bolls were opening ahead of average and soybean conditions remained considerably stronger than corn.
South Carolina: Cotton development remained near normal, while peanut harvest had not meaningfully started. Soil moisture remains limited in many areas, and 31% of pasture was rated poor or very poor.
Virginia: Cotton bolls were opening slightly ahead of normal, while peanut condition was mostly fair to good. Pasture remains stressed in parts of the state, with more than one-quarter rated poor or very poor and more than half of topsoil short or very short.

West & Southwest

California: Rice harvest had started, while cotton remained exceptionally strong, with 90% rated excellent in USDA’s latest report. Almond harvest is running early, and industry data show August crop receipts well ahead of last year as export shipments strengthened.
Arizona: Cotton harvest reached 35%, far ahead of the normal early-September pace, and more than half of the crop was rated excellent. Range conditions are much weaker, with 60% rated poor or very poor.
New Mexico: Agricultural moisture remains extremely limited, with 85% of topsoil short or very short and half rated very short. Pasture conditions are also weak as ranchers manage forage supplies while chile and other irrigated crops move through harvest.
Nevada: Dry conditions continue to define livestock and hay management, with 80% of topsoil rated short or very short. Pasture was largely fair to poor, increasing reliance on harvested forage as producers move toward fall.
Utah: More than 60% of pasture was rated poor or very poor, while topsoil moisture remained mixed. Livestock producers continue balancing grazing availability against hay needs as summer range quality declines.

Northwest & Northern Rockies

Washington: Spring wheat harvest reached 95% and barley 96%, both ahead of average. Winter wheat planting had started but remained behind normal, while more than half of pastures were still rated good despite dry topsoil in some areas.
Oregon: Winter wheat planting reached 3%, matching the five-year pace. Dryness is more notable for livestock and fall field preparation, with 78% of topsoil short or very short and 38% of pasture poor or very poor.
Idaho: Spring wheat harvest reached 95% and barley 97%, well ahead of their respective averages. Pasture remains a concern, with nearly half rated poor and soil moisture generally limited heading into fall planting.
Montana: Spring wheat harvest reached 75% and barley 82%, both still behind normal. Range and pasture conditions remain difficult, with 58% rated poor or very poor and 70% of topsoil short or very short.
Wyoming: Range conditions are among the weakest in the country, with 70% rated poor or very poor and 86% of topsoil short or very short. Those conditions keep forage, supplemental feeding, and winter livestock planning at the center of ranch decisions.

Northeast

Pennsylvania: Corn development remains somewhat slow, but crop condition is strong, with more than 90% rated good or excellent. Penn State Extension is closely tracking corn-silage dry-down as dairy farms choose harvest timing for proper forage moisture.
New York: Soil moisture and pasture remain comparatively favorable, with two-thirds of pasture rated good. Dairy and forage operations are moving deeper into corn-silage season while apple and other fall specialty-crop harvests continue.
New Jersey: Pasture conditions remain strong, with 70% rated good or excellent, and soil moisture is generally adequate. Vegetable, fruit, and nursery operations remain active as fall harvest and acreage-reporting deadlines approach.
Delaware: Soil moisture remains generally adequate, but pasture is mixed, with more than one-third rated poor or very poor. Corn and soybean harvest preparation is accelerating while the poultry sector continues steady production.
Maryland: Rain limited fieldwork during the latest USDA reporting week, while soil moisture remained largely adequate. Pasture was mostly fair to good as grain producers prepared for corn and soybean harvest.
West Virginia: Pasture stress remains significant, with 44% rated poor or very poor. Recent moisture has helped some areas, but cattle and hay producers continue monitoring forage availability heading toward fall.
Connecticut: Pasture remained mostly good and topsoil moisture largely adequate. Vegetable, orchard, and forage harvests remain active as producers transition toward fall conditions.
Massachusetts: Pasture remained good, but subsoil moisture was sharply depleted in USDA’s latest report. Specialty-crop and forage producers continue managing uneven moisture as fall harvest expands.
Rhode Island: Pastures remained generally favorable and topsoil moisture was largely adequate. Vegetable and orchard harvests continue with field access generally available.
Vermont: Pasture was mostly fair, but topsoil moisture was short statewide in the latest USDA report. Dairy farms are managing forage needs closely as corn silage harvest approaches or begins.
New Hampshire: Pasture and soil moisture remained comparatively favorable, supporting forage and specialty crops. Apple and vegetable harvests are becoming increasingly important as the growing season shortens.
Maine: Dryness remains more apparent than elsewhere in northern New England, with 60% of topsoil short or very short and pasture mostly fair. Potato and forage producers are watching soil conditions closely as fall harvest advances.

Upper Midwest & Great Lakes

Minnesota: Drought remains the dominant issue, with University of Minnesota Extension reporting D1 through D3 drought across more than 75% of the state this summer. Corn maturity and soybean leaf drop are running ahead of normal, while pasture conditions remain poor and forage concerns continue.
Wisconsin: Corn and soybean development is progressing near to ahead of normal, while oats are essentially harvested. Pasture and soil moisture remain mixed, keeping dairy forage inventories and corn-silage timing important as harvest expands.
Michigan: Corn development remains uneven, but 59% of corn and 54% of soybeans were rated good or excellent. Soil moisture remains relatively favorable, while dairy farms and crop producers shift attention toward silage and grain harvest.

Far North, Hawaii & U.S. Territories

Alaska: Alaska’s shorter production season is moving toward final vegetable, forage, and specialty-crop harvests, while livestock operations prepare for winter feeding. University of Alaska Extension continues providing livestock, food preservation, and agricultural support across widely dispersed production areas, where access and season length remain fundamental constraints.
Hawaii: Coffee, macadamia, tropical fruit, and livestock remain central to diversified agriculture. University of Hawaii Extension continues focusing on coffee and macadamia pest management, orchard production, and farm-market readiness as growers manage year-round production rather than a single mainland-style harvest season.
Puerto Rico: Dairy, poultry, coffee, plantains, vegetables, and tropical fruit remain the island’s major agricultural sectors. The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture continues to emphasize crop insurance and farm investment protection, while coffee and plantain production remain important parts of the territory’s farm economy.