U.S. spring planting remains slow in 2008

Washington, Minn. -- Major U.S. corn states have less than half their acres sown compared with their five-year averages, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday.

On a five-year average, farmers in the 18 largest corn-growing states have 59 percent of their corn planting done by this week. This year, only 27 percent of those corn acres have seed in the ground, the report said.

While most states lag far behind, North Carolina is almost on par with its five-year average and reports 54 percent of its corn has emerged compared with its five-year average of 65 percent.

Soybean planting is also behind the five-year average, with 5 percent of the ground planted compared with a five-year average 14 percent for this time of the year.

The weekly crop report said 26 percent of the nation's winter wheat crop has headed out, compared with a five-year average of 38 percent for this week of the year.

The country's six major spring wheat states are close to their five-year average for planting with 58 percent planted, compared with an average of 62 percent by this time of the year.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.