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In the USDA’s July 28, 2025 Crop Progress report, 20% of the U.S. corn crop was rated excellent—the highest excellent share since 2018. That was one part of the condition picture: 73% was rated good or excellent, 20% fair, and 7% poor or very poor. These are 2025 figures, not the latest crop ratings.
What the seven-year high measured
The rating applied to the week ending July 27, 2025, in the 17th Crop Progress report of that growing season. The 20% figure refers specifically to corn rated excellent. It does not mean that 20% was the entire share in good or better condition: USDA reported 73% as good or excellent when the good and excellent categories were combined. Agriculture.com’s July 28, 2025 report summarized the USDA release; the USDA NASS report provides the underlying figures.
USDA condition ratings divide the crop into five categories—very poor, poor, fair, good, and excellent. The percentages describe a distribution and add to 100%. “Excellent” is therefore a separate, narrower category than “good or excellent.” The distinction matters when comparing headlines, charts, or reports that use different measures. NASS’s survey guide explains how the agency collects these estimates.
What the 2025 report said about crop development
Condition and crop progress answer different questions. Condition estimates describe how the crop was rated; progress figures show how much had reached a development stage. For the week ending July 27, USDA reported:
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- Silking: 76% of corn in the top 18 corn-growing states had reached this stage, compared with a five-year average of 77%.
- Dough stage: 26% had reached this stage, compared with a five-year average of 24%.
These stage figures cover the selected 18 states, while the condition distribution is the national measure. They should not be treated as interchangeable indicators or compared without noting their geographic coverage and the development stage involved. USDA’s Crop Progress and Condition charts and maps distinguish condition trends from progress comparisons.
How to interpret the rating—and what it does not establish
A high excellent share indicates that a larger portion of the crop was judged to be in the top condition category at that reporting point. It is a survey assessment, not a direct measurement of yield or final production, and it does not by itself establish why farmers or reporters rated the crop as they did. The July 2025 rating alone cannot prove that the harvest would be a record or explain movements in corn prices.
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NASS releases Crop Progress reports at 4 p.m. on the first business day of each week from April 1 through November 30. Reporters estimate conditions and progress as of Sunday. The agency’s survey guide describes the timing and reporting approach. For year-to-year comparisons, use the same report week or a comparable crop-development point, and keep the excellent-only share separate from good-plus-excellent.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse the 2025 high with the latest listed rating
The seven-year-high headline describes a July 2025 result, not current conditions. The latest weekly report listed in the USDA ESMIS Crop Progress archive at this article’s research date was dated October 5, 2026. As summarized by Agriculture.com, that report put corn at 54% good or excellent, down from 57% the prior week; 23% had been harvested, compared with a five-year average of 27%. Those are 2026 figures, and the 54% combined measure is not directly comparable to the 20% excellent-only figure from July 2025. Agriculture.com’s October 5, 2026 summary reports those current-season comparisons.
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