Corn planting was ahead of its five-year historic average in 16 of 18 prominent corn-producing states, the U. S. Department of Agriculture has said.

Planting as of April 18 was 70 percent completed in Texas, 63 percent done in North Carolina and 59 percent done in Tennessee. Overall, corn planting was 19 percent complete, compared with a five-year average of 9 percent for this week of the year.

The USDA further said that planting is behind in the historically slow-starting states of Colorado and North Dakota, where planting is 3 percent and zero percent completed, respectively.

It was also said by the weekly crop report that 11 percent of the cotton acreage has been planted with 10 of 15 prominent cotton-producing states ahead of their historic averages. Eight of 11 sorghum producing states are ahead this year.

The USDA further noted that overall, sugar beet, spring wheat, rice and oat plantings are also ahead of their historic averages. (With Inputs from Agencies)