Soybean conditions this year are ahead of last year’s levels. However, maturity is lagging as much as 5% in some of the top-growing states.
In Iowa, maturity is at 9% which is five points behind last year.
Nebraska is 9 points behind last year’s levels and places like North Dakota are behind double digits. Maturity is 22 points behind the last growing season.
Growers in those states say that weather played a big role in the decline.
Despite the challenges this year, soy industry leaders say that there are plenty of reasons to still be optimistic.
According to Jim Sutter, U.S. Soybean Export Council, “The first one you can kind of take or leave, but I said policies because in the year 2024, there are more elections taking place than ever before in a single year around the world. I think economics are improving, so there’s prosperity. The next P is preserving. Preserving the environment. I talked about sustainability, but I think it’s all about preserving the environment for future generations. More commonly known as AI, we’re using predictive technology to do all kinds of things for us. And then finally, the fifth P is partnership, and that’s what Soy Connect is all about. It’s about bringing people together.”
Growers will get a new read on this year’s crop after the USDA releases this week’s Crop Progress Report.
