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What the latest national figures show
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its Crop Progress report on September 28, 2026, using observations for the week ending Sunday, September 27. It reported that 18% of the corn crop had been harvested nationally. That was equal to the 2021–2025 average for the date and one percentage point above the 17% reported for the comparable week in 2025. Read the September 28 USDA report.
So “ahead of schedule” does not describe the national harvest against its five-year benchmark in this report. It was on pace. The harvest figure is a weekly estimate, not a final measure of how much corn will be collected.
Harvest progress and crop maturity are different measures
The same report said 72% of U.S. corn was mature, compared with a 71% five-year average and 69% in 2025. That puts maturity modestly ahead of its average, but it does not mean 72% of the crop had been harvested.
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NASS describes an acre as mature when the plants have reached the relevant development stage; its corn definition says the plant is considered safe from frost, about ready to harvest, with shucks opening and no green foliage. “Harvested” means the crop has been cut, threshed, or otherwise gathered from the field. Progress percentages refer to acres, and NASS generally counts an acre as having reached a stage when at least half of its plants are in or beyond it. USDA definitions for Crop Progress terms.
How the pace differed by state
National averages can conceal very different local progress. In the September 27 report, the named states below were either ahead of or behind their own 2021–2025 averages:
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| State | Harvested, week ending September 27, 2026 | 2021–2025 average | Difference from average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 48% | 40% | 8 percentage points ahead |
| Tennessee | 73% | 56% | 17 percentage points ahead |
| Iowa | 5% | 10% | 5 percentage points behind |
| Nebraska | 11% | 15% | 4 percentage points behind |
These state comparisons come from the same USDA report; they show why a national figure alone cannot establish that every region is early or late. The report provides progress estimates, not a single nationwide explanation for the differences.
How to read “ahead of schedule” in USDA reports
NASS conducts its Crop Progress survey weekly during the growing season. Reporters estimate conditions as of Sunday, and the published tables compare the current week with the prior week, the same point in the previous year, and the five-year average. USDA says these estimates help producers, agribusinesses, traders, government agencies, and others assess growing conditions and inform decisions. USDA National Crop Progress reports and program information.
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- Compare harvested acreage with harvested acreage, rather than with crop maturity.
- Use the same week-ending date when comparing years; the report’s publication date comes afterward.
- Specify the baseline: “on the five-year average” and “ahead of last year” are different comparisons.
- Name the state when describing a local pace; state results can diverge from the national average.
What Iowa’s earlier report adds—and what it does not
An Iowa report released September 8 offered a local snapshot from earlier in the month. For the week ending September 6, it put Iowa corn maturity at 17%, seven percentage points behind the prior year. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, “Farmers are busy chopping silage and preparing for harvest as we wait for corn and soybeans to dry down and fully mature.” The report also described a hot start to September and rainfall variation across Iowa. These details provide Iowa context, not evidence of a cause for the national harvest pattern reported three weeks later. Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, September 8, 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the figures may change
Crop Progress is updated weekly, so the September 27 estimates are a dated snapshot rather than a statement about the pace after that week. USDA’s publication listing scheduled the next report for October 5, 2026. USDA NASS publication schedule and reports.
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