Harvest Hastens Amid Arid October

Rainfall finally appeared for several parts of the state, but it didn’t slow corn harvest.  USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report indicates that two-thirds of Missouri’s corn crop is out of the ground, outpacing the five-year average by two points.  While still six points behind a year ago, corn progress has proceeded ahead of prior trends for the first time this season.  Crop maturity is at 97 percent.  Soybean harvest is now nine points ahead of recent years at 38 percent.  All but six percent of the crop has dropped leaves, seven points better than last year and ten points ahead of the five-year average.  51 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent, a two-point climb on the week, while 16 percent is rated poor or very poor.  Winter wheat planting has reached the trendline, with 34 percent in the ground.  Nine percent has emerged, five points behind a year ago and the five-year average.

The Bootheel’s cotton harvest has reached 30 percent, just ahead of last year but ten points off average pace.  Rice harvest is at 88 percent, 13 points better than a year ago and four points ahead of the five-year average.

With an average of 44-hundredths of an inch of rain last week and temperatures 0.4 degrees below normal at 57.7°F, pasture conditions once again faltered.  Just 12 percent of fields remain in good conditions, while 64 percent are rated poor or very poor.  Only 49 percent of Missouri farmers are believed to have adequate hay supply, and 48 percent have enough stock water on hand.  Adequate moisture is reported in just 21 percent of the state’s topsoil and 25 percent of subsoil.  An average of 6.2 days were suitable for fieldwork.