Crop planting outpacing averages - UPI.com WASHINGTON, April 24 (UPI) -- U.S. farmers report that corn, cotton and soybean planting, in the week ending Monday, remains well ahead of their five-year averages. Farmers report that 28 percent of the corn crop is planted, keeping putting the crop well ahead of its five-year average of 15 percent for this time of year. About 9 percent of the crop has emerged, putting that ahead of the five-year average of 2 percent, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in its weekly report. In the past five years, farmers in the 15 most productive cotton-growing states planted 13 percent of their cotton by this week of the year. For 2012, the average stands at 17 percent among the most productive cotton states. Soybean planting, which generally trails behind corn, is 6 percent completed, ahead of the historic average of 2 percent for this week of the year. Farmers also report 5 percent of the peanut crop is planted, as is 60 percent of sugar beets, 65 percent of rice and 57 percent of the spring wheat crop -- and all are outpacing their long-term averages.