Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig Issues Crop Progress Update and Expands Cover‑Crop Cost‑Share

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig released the latest USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending July 19, 2026. Warm, dry weather produced 6.7 suitable field‑work days, with corn silking at 72 % (14 points above last year) and soybeans blooming at 70 % (3 points ahead). Corn condition was rated 80 % good‑to‑excellent, soybeans 79 % good‑to‑excellent, and pasture 67 % good‑to‑excellent. Moisture readings showed the majority of topsoil and subsoil at adequate levels, with only a small share very short.

Naig also announced an expanded cover‑crop cost‑share program for the Greater Des Moines Watershed. The program raises the enrollment cap and offers $30 per acre for first‑time cover‑crop planting and $20 per acre for repeat plantings, limited to 160 acres per participant. The initiative supports the state’s “Farm to Faucet” water‑quality package aimed at reducing pollutants and protecting drinking‑water supplies.