According to USDA, corn dough & dent figures and soybean blooming & pod setting figures remained significantly below previous year levels through the fourth week of August. The current corn and soybean crops identified to be in good or excellent condition each increased from the previous week, however, while finishing consistent with or above analyst expectations. Corn: Corn dough as of the week ending Aug 25^th was 71% percent complete, finishing behind last year’s pace of 91% and the five year average pace of 87%. Corn dough progress finished at a six year seasonal low figure. Corn dent as of the week ending Aug 25^th was 27% complete, finishing behind last year’s pace of 59% and the five year average pace of 46%. Corn dent progress finished at a six year seasonal low figure. 57% of the current corn crop was identified to be in good or excellent condition as of the week ending Aug 25^th, up one percent from the previous week. The current corn crop identified to be in good or excellent condition finished below last year’s figure of 68% but was consistent with analyst expectations. 13% of the current corn crop was identified as very poor or poor, down one percent from the previous week but finishing one percent above last year’s figure. The percentage of the current corn crop identified to be in good or excellent remained at a seven year seasonal low level for the week ending Aug 25^th while the percentage of the current corn crop identified to be in poor or very poor condition finished at the highest level experienced throughout the past six years. Soybeans: Soybean blooming progress as of the week ending Aug 25^th was 94% complete, finishing behind last year’s pace of 100% and the five year average pace of 99%. Soybean blooming progress finished tied for the lowest seasonal pace experienced throughout the past 38 years. Soybean pod setting as of the week ending Aug 25^th was 79% complete, finishing behind last year’s pace of 94% and the five year average pace of 91%. Soybean pod setting progress finished at a 38 year seasonal low figure. 55% of the current soybean crop was identified to be in good or excellent condition as of the week ending Aug 25^th, up two percent from the previous week. The current soybean crop identified to be in good or excellent condition finished below last year’s figure of 66% and was slightly above analyst expectations of 54%. 13% of the current soybean crop was identified as very poor or poor, down one percent from the previous week but finishing two percent above last year’s figure. The percentage of the current soybean crop identified to be in good or excellent remained at a seven year seasonal low level for the week ending Aug 25^th while the percentage of the current soybean crop identified to be in poor or very poor condition finished tied for the highest level experienced throughout the past seven years.