USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report
The condition of the U.S. soybean crop is 67% rated good-to-excellent in its first condition rating of the season this week, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday. Planting progress and development also remain slightly ahead of last year's pace for both corn and soybeans, NASS said.
CORN
-- Planting progress: 93% of corn was planted nationwide as of Sunday, 3 points ahead of 90% last year and consistent with the five-year average.
-- Crop development: 78% of corn had emerged Sunday, 6 points ahead of last year's 72% and 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 77%.
-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 69% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 point from 68% the previous week, but 6 points below last year's 75%.
SOYBEANS
-- Planting progress: Soybean planting moved ahead 8 points last week to reach 84% complete as of Sunday. That was 7 percentage points ahead of last year's 77% and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 80%.
-- Crop development: 63% of soybeans had emerged as of Sunday, 10 points ahead of last year's 53% and 6 points ahead of the five-year average of 57%.
-- Crop condition: In its initial rating of this year's soybean crop, NASS estimated 67% of the soybeans that had emerged were in good-to-excellent condition and just 5% were very-poor-to-poor.
WINTER WHEAT
-- Crop condition: An estimated 52% of winter wheat was rated good-to-excellent as of June 1, up 2 points from 50% the previous week and 3 points ahead from 49% a year ago.
-- Harvest progress: 3% of the nation's winter wheat crop was harvested as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of last year's 5% and consistent with the five-year average.
-- Crop development: 83% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday. That's 1 percentage point ahead of last year's 82% and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
SPRING WHEAT
-- Planting progress: 95% of spring wheat was planted as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of 93% last year and 5 points ahead of the five-year average of 90%.
-- Crop development: 73% of spring wheat has emerged, 3 points behind 76% last year but 4 points ahead of the five-year average of 69%.
-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 50% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, up 5 points from 45% the previous week. However, it is still significantly lower than last year's rating of 74% good-to-excellent.
Nebraska Crop Progress & Condition Report for the week ending June 1, 2025
This week - Last week - 5 Yr Ave
Corn Planted - 98 95 97
Corn Emerged - 90 77 84
Soybeans planted - 95 91 93
Soybeans emerged - 77 63 70
Winter wheat headed - 80 60 56
Winter wheat harvested - 0 0 0
Corn condition rating this week - 54% good 14% excellent
Soybeans Condition rating this week - 55% good 12% excellent
Pasturen & Range Condition this week - 24% fair 19% good 1% excellent
Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report
Dry weather with isolated showers led to 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 1, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary field activities included planting, cutting hay and spraying emerging crops.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 23 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 27 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
Corn planted reached 97 percent. Corn emerged reached 87 percent, 6 days ahead of last year’s pace and 1 day ahead of normal. Corn condition rated 84 percent good to excellent.
Ninety-six percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted. Soybeans emerged reached 79 percent, 10 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.
Ninety-five percent of the State’s oat crop has emerged. Oats headed reached 41 percent, 2 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of normal. Oat condition rated 85 percent good to excellent.
Sixty-one percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed, 6 days ahead of last year and average. Hay condition rated 83 percent good to excellent.
Pasture condition rated 73 percent good to excellent.
Commodity Title Changes in Budget Reconciliation Bill . . .
NeFB Newsletter
Farm program payments as a share of government support for agriculture are less today than they were a few years ago. Rather, ad-hoc assistance has grown more common and in recent years has comprised most of federal support. One reason for farm programs’ shrinking share is the mechanisms within the commodities title which trigger support payments haven’t keep pace with market conditions. The recently passed budget reconciliation bill by the House of Representatives seeks to remedy this.
The reconciliation bill makes several changes to the Farm Bill’s commodity title, one of which increases the reference prices which are figured into the calculations of payments under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) programs. Table 1, taken from a farmdoc daily article published by the University of Illinois, shows the proposed increases. The largest percentage increases are for rice and soybeans, 21% and 19% respectively. The increase for corn is 11%. Federal outlays are estimated to increase by nearly $30 billion over ten years with spending on rice, peanuts, and seed cotton estimated to see the greatest gains.
Jordan Dux, Senior Director of National Affairs at Nebraska Farm Bureau, says the bill also includes changes to base acres allocations, maximum payment levels under ARC, the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, crop insurance, the conservation title, and to programs providing compensation for livestock losses. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Farm Bill provisions concerns spending cuts proposed for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The changes seek to cut roughly $280 billion in assistance dollars by increasing states’ share of the costs. According to Dux, the impacts to Nebraska's budget could range between $87-$104 million. Also, not to be overlooked, the reconciliation bill contains tax provisions important to agriculture.
Next up for the measure is the U.S. Senate. And following passage in the Senate, a conference committee to iron out any differences between the House and Senate versions. The CBO estimates the bill will increase government debt by over $3 trillion over the next 10 years. The growing debt will no doubt feature in the Senate and public debate regarding the measure. The politics in the Senate differ from the House, so it’s likely that amendments will be made. Farmers and agricultural organizations will be watching closely to see if any affect the Farm Bill provisions.
Gov. Pillen Address to Lawmakers: Positive, Lasting Impact Serves Nebraskans Well
Monday, Governor Jim Pillen shared with members of the 109th Nebraska Legislature the headline he felt best summarized this session: Positive, lasting impact serves Nebraskans well. During his sine die, or end-of-session address, the Governor hit on multiple areas of achievement, including passage of the overwhelming majority of his own priority bills.
On two occasions during his speech, Gov. Pillen gave recognition to special guests in attendance. Members of the Nebraska State Patrol, friends of Trooper Kyle McAcy, were applauded for their service to the state. They were on scene the day Trooper McAcy died while assisting motorists in a snowstorm.
The second recognition was of WWII veteran Wayne Davy of Columbus. The former Marine was there to represent the many veterans who have been honored with special medallions as part of a program involving the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs (NDVA). Gov. Pillen has worked with the agency to present the medals to veterans, signifying the 80th anniversary since the end of the war.
Below are some of the legislative highlights from the 2025 session including those that align with his four priority areas – kids, taxes, agriculture and values:
Passage of one of the most historically conservative and fiscally responsible state budgets, accomplished by cutting wasteful spending and putting idle pillowcase money to work while also maintaining investments in education, property tax relief, and the safety of the state.
Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law that protect our kids from online distractions and harm and to give parents more control over kids’ use of social media.
LB140 – Requires public school boards to adopt policies for restricting cell phone use bell to bell
LB383 – Creates the Parental Rights in Social Media Act, requiring parental consent for creation of social media accounts for minors and establishes criminal penalties for AI-generated child pornography
LB504 – As part of the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, online services are required to protect user data, implement design features that reduce harm resulting from compulsive use and it gives parents access to their child’s privacy and account settings
Gov. Pillen signed the following bill into law to review and recommend changes to Nebraska’s TEEOSA school funding formula to help keep property taxes under control.
LB303 – Creates the 18-member School Finance Review Commission, which will evaluate the current TEEOSA formula governing Nebraska school funding
LB261 – Increases property tax relief by $105 million in 2026 and $170 million in 2027
Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law designed to grow agriculture and the economy.
LB246 – Bans lab-grown meat from being manufactured, distributed, or sold in Nebraska
LB317 – Merges the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources with the Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy to create the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment
LB650 – Eliminates or adjusts sales tax exemptions and provides and changes sunset dates for a variety of tax incentives
LB526 – Preserves needed electrical service to homes, businesses and other Nebraska customers by establishing requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations
Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law that defend conservative Nebraska values.
LB89 – The Stand With Women Act protects girls and women by prohibiting biological males from joining female sports teams
LB645 – Puts an additional $1,000 in teachers’ pockets annually, stabilizes contribution rates to the School Employees Retirement System and increases survivor benefits through the Nebraska State Patrol Retirement System
LB346 – “Cleans out the closets” by ending or reassigning the duties of over 40 different boards, commission, committees or councils
LB 644 – Creates the Foreign Adversary & Terrorist Agent Registration Act and the Crush Transnational Repression in Nebraska Act to establish registration and reporting requirements for certain foreign entities
In addition to the legislative achievements outlined above, Gov. Pillen made several new appointments to key state agencies including Department of Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh, and Department of Water, Energy and Environment Director Jesse Bradley.
Professionals to discuss benefits of Farming with Prairie Strips
Join resource professionals for a discussion of prairie strips and their benefits during the Farming with Prairie Strips event June 17 south of Craig, Nebraska.
The public is invited to this free event, from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., which will include a look into the practicality and economics of prairie strips. It will include producer testimonials and a review of program options for those interested.
The event begins at the farm of Ed and Leta Olson at 1525 County Road A, with sign-in, a brief introduction, then a field tour to existing Conservation Reserve Program sites.
Lunch will be provided at Logan View High School located at 2163 County Road G, Hooper, where afternoon presentations will take place.
Register at nebraskapf.com/habitat-tours or call Rob Peterson at 402-838-3022. Direct any questions to rpeterson@pheasantsforever.org.
Prairie strips are planted native prairie grasses or wildflowers that act as in-field contour buffers or edge-of-field strips. They protect soil and water while providing habitat for wildlife and perform better than other vegetation types. According to Iowa State University, which has been the leader in prairie strip research for 15 years, the strips can reduce sediment movement and phosphorous and nitrogen runoff from farm fields.
The event is coordinated by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Pheasants Forever, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. The agencies aim to replicate prairie strip successes in Iowa to Nebraska.
Nebraska Extension to host June 5 webinar on drought management for beef producers
As drought conditions continue to affect much of Nebraska, beef producers are being forced to make difficult herd and forage management decisions. To support producers navigating these challenges, Nebraska Extension will host a free webinar on Thursday, June 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mountain Time / 7:30 to 9 p.m. Central Time.
The webinar, “Drought Management Tools, Expected Grass Production and Early Weaning,” will feature University of Nebraska–Lincoln specialists covering key management practices and decision-making strategies to help mitigate the effects of drought.
Scheduled topics and speakers include:
· Early weaning calves – Karla Wilke, cow-calf management specialist
· New drought planning tools – Tonya Haigh, National Drought Mitigation Center
· Range and pasture outlook – Mitch Stephenson, range and forage specialist
· Summer annual forage options – Jerry Volesky, range and forage specialist
“This webinar is designed to provide actionable information to help producers make sound, timely decisions during drought,” said Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension beef educator.
“Whether you’re looking at forage alternatives or considering early weaning, this session will provide practical guidance.”
Producers may attend virtually or join one of several in-person host site locations across Nebraska:
· Rushville – Brock Ortner, Sheridan County Extension Office, 800 S. Loofborrow St.; 308-327-2312
· Scottsbluff – Mitch Stephenson, PREC Bluestem Room, 4502 Ave. I; 308-632-1355
· Kimball – Aaron Berger, Kimball Extension Office, 209 E. Third St.; 308-235-3122
· O’Neill – Bethany Johnston, Holt County Annex, 128 N. Sixth St.; 402-336-2760
· Fullerton – Josie Crouch, Nance County Extension, 304 Third St.; 308-536-2691
· Lexington – Talon Mues and Brent Plugge Dawson County Office, 1002 Plum Creek Pkwy; 308-324-5501
There is no cost to attend, but producers are encouraged to contact the host site ahead of time to help with planning.
To attend remotely via Zoom, contact Aaron Berger at aberger2@unl.edu to register and receive login details.
A recording of the webinar will be made available following the event for those unable to attend live.
For more information, contact Berger at 308-235-3122.
Nebraska Farmers Union Foundation Receives 31% More ‘Give to Lincoln’ Donations Than Last Year
The Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) Foundation Board of Directors were very pleased with this year’s “Give to Lincoln” campaign. Without considering the match from the Lincoln Community Foundation, thirty-four donations totaling $3,755 were received as part of the annual “Give to Lincoln” day. That compares to 23 donations totaling $2,849 received last year. A record number of 502 total non-profits registered for this year’s “Give to Lincoln” program that ran from May 1st through May 29th. The NeFU Foundation ranked #265 on the leaderboard in donations.
NeFU Foundation Secretary John Hansen said “We were again in the middle with 264 non-profits receiving more and 237 receiving fewer donations than NeFU Foundation did. We appreciate the opportunity to once again participate in “Give to Lincoln” and the generosity of the Lincoln Community Foundation.”
Contributions to the NeFU Foundation can either be designated for general support, or as a memorial to someone in the Farmers Union family. All donations are put into principal and only the earnings are used for programming to support family farm, ranch, and rural families while maintaining a growing permanent endowment.
This year memorials were received in memory of former District 3 Director Mary Alice Corman of Edgar, Life Member Norman Kavan of Cedar Bluffs, John Stencel, 28-year President of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and Merle Hansen of Newman Grove.
NeFU Foundation President Jeff Kirkpatrick said “We are grateful for all of the contributions which help us grow our endowment. This year’s effort was 31% above last year’s. That is very encouraging, especially considering the tough financial situation many farmers are facing. The larger our endowment, the more revenues are available to support our programs. Because we keep the principal, and only spend the investment revenues, donations to our foundation are gifts that continue to provide support year after year. We deeply appreciate the generosity of our supporters.”
NeFU Foundation Secretary John Hansen concluded, “It has been a year since we lost John Goeller of Pilger who inspired our foundation 39 years ago. We miss his optimism, his encouragement, and his life-long commitment to thinking about bigger and better ways to support family farm agriculture. He rightly believed that NeFU members would support a foundation dedicated to serving family farmers, ranchers, and the rural community.”
Vietnamese Delegation Signing of U.S. Agriculture Products Including Corn
Monday, Iowa welcomed over 50 members of the Vietnamese delegation to the Iowa State Capitol for the signing of five memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between the Vietnamese feed industry and private companies from the United States, focusing on increasing trade of U.S. grains including corn.
Remarks were given by H.E. Do Duc Duy, Vietnam Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, and Ralph Lents, Iowa Corn Promotion Board President. Two MOUs were signed specific to corn and DDGS equaling 900,000 metric tons of U.S. corn and 250,000 metric tons of U.S. DDGS.
“Vietnam is a strategic trading partner with the United States and is a top importer of DDGS,” said ICPB President Ralph Lents. “This event showcased an increased commitment from Vietnam to purchase more agricultural products and reinforce the strong partnership between our countries. Iowa is the top corn-producing state, and we are happy to serve as host to our important trade partners.”
Additionally, the Vietnam government is currently exploring the expansion of its E5 RON92 mandate to all grades of gasoline. This change would mean an additional 200 million gallons of new ethanol demand potential. The Ministry of Industry & Trade, the key policymaker, and regulator for fuel in Viet Nam, is working towards a nationwide E10 mandate for the policy expansion, aiming to finalize a policy decision in 2025.
Iowa Corn, in conjunction with the U.S. Grains Council, has been actively engaged in Vietnam for the past two years as they have evaluated the potential for ethanol in their country. This included hosting a high-level government delegation in Iowa last summer where we were able to showcase the benefits of using ethanol. If Vietnam moves to a nationwide E10 mandate across all grades of gasoline, this will be a huge win for Iowa's corn farmers.
For more information on how the Iowa Corn Promotion Board invests checkoff funds in partnerships, like the U.S. Grains Council, to increase Iowa corn grower profitability, visit https://www.iowacorn.org/corn-market-development/us-corn-exports/.
Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production
Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 475 million bushels in April 2025. Total corn consumption was down 6 percent from March 2025 but up 1 percent from April 2024. April 2025 usage included 91.7 percent for alcohol and 8.3 percent for other purposes. Corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 3.36 million bushels, down 20 percent from March 2025 and down 19 percent from April 2024. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 426 million bushels, was down 6 percent from March 2025 but up 1 percent from April 2024. Corn consumed in April 2025 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 91.5 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively.
Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.63 million tons during April 2025, down 10 percent from March 2025 and down 7 percent from April 2024. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.26 million tons in April 2025, up 3 percent from March 2025 and up 1 percent from April 2024.
Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 242,134 tons during April 2025, down 7 percent from March 2025 but up 2 percent from April 2024. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 198,188 tons in April 2025, up 1 percent from March 2025 but down less than 1 percent from April 2024.
Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings, Production, Consumption and Stocks
Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 6.07 million tons (202 million bushels) in April 2025, compared with 6.20 million tons (207 million bushels) in March 2025 and 5.33 million tons (178 million bushels) in April 2024. Crude oil produced was 2.40 billion pounds, down 3 percent from March 2025 but up 15 percent from April 2024. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.75 billion pounds during April 2025 decreased 7 percent from March 2025 but increased 2 percent from April 2024.
Record High Cattle Prices
Stephen R. Koontz, Ph.D., Professor, Colorado State University
The cattle markets start the summer moving into record-high price territory. The 5-market weighted average cash fed cattle price pushed past $225/cwt while prices in the southern plains were around $220. Live cattle futures contract prices are at a discount to cash and have struggled to break $215.
By region, depending on whether the cash market in question is in a deficit or surplus of supply, cash feeder cattle prices for 7-8 weight cattle are above $300/cwt, 6-7 weight cattle are above $350, and 5-6 weight animals are pressing $400. Record highs. Feeder cattle futures contract prices have only briefly pressed above $300/cwt.
I am running across discussions and getting questions as to whether or not cattle prices have cyclically peaked. I doubt it. Supplies of beef will remain tight for the foreseeable future. Current tightness is due to long-term drought, years of herd liquidation, and the resulting reduced animal numbers. Supplies will only tighten further when herd building occurs.
How about based on shorter-term seasonal pressures? Typically beef production increases through the summer supported by heavier weights. This will likely be the case this year. But a detailed examination of placements across different weight groups suggests very tight supplies. These marketings-based-on-placements can be calculated using the Cattle on Feed report information from placements in the different weight groups. Assumptions are needed about average daily gain and days on feed to make grade. But once done, these prospective marketings are very tight compared to prior years’ calculations. Another two series of inventories calculated from the report that I watch are cattle on feed over 120 days and over 150 days. Both are large and reinforce that the inventory of cattle on feed numbers are weighted to the end of the feeding period. Supplies will be tight for much of the remainder of the year.
The supply side is clear so the story of cattle prices will be written by demand and communicated through the boxed beef composite cutout value. While not record high, the composite value is very strong. Only not as strong as supply limited COVID period. While the composite beef values are excellent, the fed cattle prices are aggressive relative to packer margins not good. And we are in the time of the year when packer margins are typically the best for the year. This is not the case. Therefore, up-moves for cattle will be reasonably limited and focus for cattle outlook should be any beef market weakness.
Where the protein markets currently sit, beef prices are very strong whereas pork and poultry are much weaker and the prospects are for continuing weakness with likely expanded production. I’ve said this repeatedly – and perhaps if I continue at some point I’ll be correct. But in forecasting cattle prices for the last five years the price of substitute meats did not matter much. Perhaps this will be important later in the current year.
USDA Announces June 2025 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for June 2025, which are effective June 2, 2025. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans
FSA offers farm ownership, operating and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation.
Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for June 2025 are as follows:
Farm Operating Loans (Direct): 5.000%
Farm Ownership Loans (Direct): 5.750%
Farm Ownership Loans (Direct, Joint Financing): 3.750%
Farm Ownership Loans (Down Payment): 1.750%
Emergency Loan (Amount of Actual Loss): 3.750%
FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders. To access an interactive online, step-by-step guide through the farm loan process, visit the Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov.
Commodity and Storage Facility Loans
Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.
Commodity Loans(less than one year disbursed): 5.000%
Farm Storage Facility Loans:
Three-year loan terms: 3.875%
Five-year loan terms: 4.000%
Seven-year loan terms: 4.125%
Ten-year loan terms: 4.375%
Twelve-year loan terms: 4.500%
Sugar Storage Facility Loans(15 years): 4.750%
More Information
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Additionally, producers can use online tools, such as the Loan Assistance Tool and Debt Consolidation Tool to explore loan options.
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