Corn harvest is nearly two-thirds complete – Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa farmers had harvested about 59% of corn and 88% of soybeans as of Monday, in keeping with the U.S. Division of Agriculture.

That’s nicely forward of the five-year common for each crops. There was ample time to reap this season due to a scarcity of rainfall.

“Soybean harvest is starting to wrap up and Iowa farmers and are making large strides towards ending corn harvest,” mentioned Mike Naig, the state’s agriculture secretary. “Whereas the persistently dry situations have helped push harvest progress alongside, reasonable drought continues to unfold statewide and is now overlaying almost half of Iowa.”

Certainly, the drought is nearly as extreme because it’s been in 9 years, though some rainfall is predicted this week. There was virtually zero rainfall in Iowa final week, in keeping with State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

“Whereas a number of jap Iowa stations reported hint quantities of rainfall, just a few Nationwide Climate Service co-op stations noticed measurable totals,” Glisan mentioned in his weekly climate report.

Virtually all the state’s corn has matured, and the crop that is still within the discipline is rated about 65% good or wonderful.

Pastures are rated about 26% good or wonderful, and “dry situations have been a problem for cattle,” the USDA reported Monday.