The first June Iowa Crop Progress Report came out on Monday. The news looked pretty good. Corn planting is considered ?nearly complete?, with 91 percent of the crop emerged. The crop is rated at 81 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans are 93 percent planted, which is 12 days ahead of the five-year average. It is hard to believe after the slow start to the planting season, we could be ahead of schedule. It is reported that 72 percent of the soybean crop is emerged. Again, this is four days ahead of the average. The crop is rated 80 percent good to excellent.
The warm and dry weather has been attributed to the ability of farmers to catch up, and the crops to move along.
There is some bad news though, and that is the fact that we are dry. In fact, the latest drought monitor shows growth in the areas considered to be ?abnormally dry? or in ?moderate drought.? All the southern tier counties and a few eastern Iowa counties are affected.
While we are happy to see that the plant is almost done, now we are waiting for the water we need to help it grow.
