The pace of US corn plantings continues to be dogged by bad weather, with progress showing just a one percentage point increase to 3% in the week ending April 15. The slow pace surprised market participants who had been anticipating progress would reach 5%. At 3%, progress is half that seen at the same point of 2017 and two percentage points behind the five-year average, but the early stage of the harvest still leaves ample time to close the gap. The specs have gotten pounded the last three years trying to play the delayed planting game, only to see the US farmer seed half of his crop in a week and a half.