CHESTERFIELD, MISSOURI, U.S. — U.S. corn harvest progress pushed ahead of the five-year average this week,  the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported on Oct. 19. With 59% of the crop harvested as of Oct. 18, ranging from 93% of the Tennessee crop to 25% of Colorado, total progress moved ahead of the five-year average by five percentage points.

“As corn farmers continue to work diligently, pushing harvest forward, the general understanding of the 2015 corn crop continues to deepen,” said National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Chip Bowling, a grower from Maryland. “At this time, the national average yield is estimated to be the second-largest on record. While a decreased forecast for harvested acres balances the added production, America’s corn farmers clearly produce an abundance. At NCGA, we continuously work to grow demand for this sustainable crop as our nation’s farmers work hard to get it in the bins.”

Most of the progress over the past two weeks is due to dryer than normal conditions.  Last week alone, the 18 leading corn-producing states had 6.54 average days suitable for fieldwork.

Colorado harvest, which has seen the least progress in terms of the percentage of acres complete, also runs furthest behind the five-year average, running 16 points behind at 25%. The states with progress furthest surpassing the average include Ohio and Illinois, which surpassed the five-year harvest average by 24 and 17 points, respectively.

Over the same period, estimates of the crop condition remained stable with 68% of the crop in good or excellent condition. At this time last year, 74% of the crop fell within this range.

To read the full report, click here.