Spring planting plows ahead of averages

Planting as of April 18 was 70 percent completed in Texas, 63 percent done in North Carolina and 59 percent done in Tennessee. Overall, corn planting was 19 percent complete, compared with a five-year average of 9 percent for this week of the year.

Planting is behind in the historically slow-starting states of Colorado and North Dakota, where planting is 3 percent and zero percent completed, respectively, the USDA said.

The weekly crop report said 11 percent of the cotton acreage has been planted with 10 of 15 prominent cotton-producing states ahead of their historic averages.

Eight of 11 sorghum producing states are ahead this year. Overall, sugar beet, spring wheat, rice and oat plantings are also ahead of their historic averages, the USDA said.

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