CHICAGO, June 4 (Reuters) - U.S. corn ratings were seen falling slightly, the second straight week of declines, due to dry weather in southern areas of the Corn Belt, analysts said.
The U.S. Agriculture Department's weekly crop ratings survey was expected to show that U.S. corn was rated 71 percent good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from a week earlier, according to the average estimate in a Reuters survey of 11 analysts.
From 2007-2011, corn ratings averaged 71 percent good to excellent in early June.
USDA also was expected to rate the soybean crop 69 percent good to excellent it its first estimate of soybean conditions for the year.
Dry and warm conditions through much of the spring allowed for a fast planting of both corn and soybeans, which most crop-watchers typically view as beneficial to crop development.
But the dry soils also raised concerns about crop deterioration. Some rain in many parts of the Midwest last week alleviated those worries but analysts estimated that about one-third of the Corn Belt still was dry.
