US growers planted an area nearly twice of size of Belgium with corn last week, making their sowing campaign the second fastest since records began.

Farmers have sown 19% of the crop, twice the proportion typically planted by now, and representing progress only beaten by the 20% figure recorded in 2004, data from the US Department of Agriculture showed.

The statistics follow a benign weather spell which allowed growers to sow, in one week, 16% of the crop.

That equates to an area of 14.2m acres, or more than 57,000 square kilometres, given the farmers have said they intend to plant 88.8m acres of corn overall.

Forecasts missed

Particular progress was made in states including Illinois, which planted one third of its crop over the week, and Tennessee, where growers got 45% of the crop in the ground.

Nonetheless, the data fell short of analysts' expectations of that farmers were on course to break the sowing record, completing as much as 25% of the crop.

"A portion of the trade could be disappointed that [the] report on corn doesn't have a 2 in front of it," Jon Michalscheck, at Benson Quinn Commodities, said.

Farmers in Illinois and Iowa, the top corn-growing states, have a task on their hands fulfilling expectations of some analysts that they will complete sowings this week. The Iowa crop was 19% sown.

Corn, which fell steeply in Chicago on Monday in part on expectations of strong sowings, recovered 1.3% to stand at $3.52 ╪ a bushel for May delivery at 08:00 GMT (09:00 BST).

Rains ahead

Plantings look set to continue a strong pace, given dry weather forecasts for much of the US, many observers believe.

"This week still looks as if we will get a lot of acres in prior to rains coming in over the weekend," Mr Michalscheck said.

The report also showed spring wheat plantings off to a flying start, being 20% completed compared with an average of 14% by now.

The winter wheat crop was in rude health, with 69% rated good or excellent, a marked improvement on the 43% a year ago.

 
Agrimoney.com