Crop update: Nebraska corn 94% harvested

Nebraska's corn crop is 94 percent harvested, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in it's weekly crop progress update. A year ago, only 28 percent of the crop was in the bin. The five-year average is 66 percent. What an incredible fall we've had here in Nebraska!

Yet progress across the country is similar - nationally 96 percent of the crop is harvested, compared to only 35 percent last year and the five-year average of 73 percent.

The early harvest is allowing farmers to get fall field work actually done in the fall. (Unlike last year, when we did a crop update in January to show harvest in the snow!)

Tomorrow we'll learn what the latest as to what USDA is thinking the size of this year's corn crop will shape up to be. Will yields (and the crop) get smaller? Will exports and feed demand remain unchanged?

In October's report, USDA estimated Nebraska corn yields at 170 bushels per acre – the second-largest on record. Nationally, USDA estimated yields at 155.8 bushels per acre, the third-largest on record.

This week's photo, from the Nebraska Corn Board's crop progress set on Flickr, was submitted by Howells Clarkson FFA Chapter.