Farmers across the country are largely ahead of schedule at getting their crops out of the field as fall and its chillier temperatures descend on farm country.
Of the crops included in USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report, only one is behind the five-year average for this time of year, and that slip in pace is hardly a statistically significant slowdown. Rice producers have cleared 89% of their acreage as of Oct. 16, barely behind the 90% five-year average. California is the only state of the crop’s six detailed in the report to be behind schedule by a noteworthy amount; the state has harvested 60% of its rice compared to the 74% five-year average.
Soybean harvest is making strong progress and is 63% complete compared to the 52% five-year average. South Dakota is a whopping 26 percentage points ahead of its five-year pace, and producers in Iowa (25 points ahead) and Minnesota (22) are also making quick work of their acres.
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As for the other crops, corn farmers are 45% done compared to the 40% five-year average; South Dakota (15 percentage points ahead of usual), Kansas (9) Minnesota (7), Nebraska (6) and Texas (6) are all well ahead of their average pace.
Sorghum harvest is 57% complete (8 percentage points ahead of the five-year average); cotton is running a little closer to schedule and is 37% complete compared to the 32% five-year average.
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