Farmers need good weather

Posted at 4:02 PM on May 16, 2011 by Mark Steil
Filed under: Farms

Minnesota farmers are hoping for a good week of weather as their spring planting progress continues to lag behind average.

The latest crop progress report notes that 47 percent of the Minnesota corn crop is planted, up from 28 percent a week ago. The normal amount for this time of year is 81 percent.

In the southeast part of the state "a lot of fields are wet and farmers need a good week of weather" to catch up on their spring planting, University of Minnesota Extension Educator Lisa Behnken said.

She said many farmers hope to complete their corn planting this week so that they can turn their attention to soybeans.

Just nine percent of the soybean crop has been seeded. Spring wheat planting is now 39 percent complete, well behind the average pace of 76 percent.