DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers, for the first time this season, are ahead of the five-year average for planting corn and soybean acres. Warm temperatures and below normal precipitation allowed soybean planting and crop progress to rapidly advance during the week that ended May 25. The USDA says statewide there were five days suitable for planting.

The report released Tuesday says 96 percent of the expected corn acres have been planted, 13 points ahead of last year and a percentage point better than the average. Soybean planting progress doubled with 80 percent complete. That’s 5 percentage points above average.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says after the extremely late planting last year farmers are excited to get the crop in the ground more timely this year.