Colder Weather Stymies Missouri Crop Progress

As average temperatures sat nearly 13 degrees below normal, Missouri farmers trudged forward with corn planting last week. USDA’s weekly crop progress report indicated that 11 percent of Missouri corn is in the ground, two points behind a year ago and 14 points behind the five-year average. Rice planting was even further behind pace, with only eight percent planted. This time last year, a fifth of the crop was planted, with the five-year average at 31 percent.

The first two percent of Missouri’s winter wheat has headed. Conditions are about the same, with half the crop in good or excellent shape, compared to nine percent poor or very poor. 63 percent of pastures remain in good or excellent condition, but the number of fields in poor or very poor shape nearly doubled in the past week to seven percent. The amount of Missouri farmers short on hay supply also doubled in the past week to four percent, while nine percent report a surplus. Two percent of farmers also report a surplus of stock water.

Just one percent of Missouri topsoil is short on moisture. Half the week was suitable for fieldwork, with rain just below normal at 89-hundreds of an inch.