Minnesota Soybean Harvest Continues Ahead of a year ago

DES MOINES, Iowa (Agriculture.com)-The US soybean harvest speeds ahead of a five-year pace, while corn picking lags behind. The dry and mild conditions allowed growers to harvest up to 63 percent of their corn for silage as of this past weekend. As of Sunday, 74% of the soybeans were in the drop stage, ahead of the 70% five-year average.

Farmers are starting to harvest corn for grain throughout Minnesota.

As the USDA reported in its daily weather update, “The National Weather Service 6- to 10-day outlook for October 3 – 7 calls for the likelihood of near- to above-normal temperatures almost nationwide, although cooler-than-normal conditions can be expected in parts of the Ohio Valley and interior Southeast”. Sixty-seven percent of the state’s corn acreage was mature, 10 days ahead of past year and two days ahead of average. The overall crop condition remained unchanged, with 68% rated good or excellent and 22% rated in fair condition.

Other key harvests now underway include soybeans (21% harvested in 18 states), sorghum (36% in 11 states), and rice (69% in six states). At 12 percent, it is also notably above last year’s report of 6 percent.