USDA’s latest crop progress report – out Monday afternoon and covering the week through April 5 – marks the first of these reports for the 2026 season. Traders will increasingly have more data points to fold into their decision-making process in the coming weeks. Today’s report showed initial corn planting progress, winter wheat conditions and more.
Corn plantings were 3% complete through Sunday, slightly exceeding analysts’ expectations. Texas (59%), Tennessee (18%) and Missouri (8%) are leading the way so far, with 9 of the top 18 production states failing to show measurable progress at this time. Nationwide, 2026’s pace is slightly ahead of both 2025 and the prior five-year average.
Planting for other regional crops were also updated in today’s report, including:
Meantime, winter wheat quality ratings showed some notable degradation since the prior report of November 24, 2025, which showed 48% of the crop in good-to-excellent condition. Analysts were expecting to see that number slide to 48% today, but USDA dropped it all the way to 35%. Another 34% of the crop is rated fair, with the remaining 31% rated poor or very poor.
Physiologically, 7% of the crop is now headed. That’s a bit above 2025’s pace of 5% and the prior five-year average of 5%.
Click here to see more data from today’s report, including a state-by-state look at topsoil and subsoil moisture, days suitable for fieldwork and more.
