Rainy days slow Missouri's harvest

The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Several rainy days hindered the harvest of fall crops last week but helped replenish topsoil moisture in much of Missouri.

In its weekly crop-weather report Monday, the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service said 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork last week.

Rainfall averaged 1.52 inches for the week, with Bollinger, Carter, Madison and Ste. Genevieve counties receiving more than 3 inches each.

Farmers have harvested 91 percent of the corn crop statewide, one day behind last year's pace but two days ahead of the five-year average.

The soybean crop is 71 percent harvested, while farmers have cut 85 percent of the sorghum and 97 percent of the rice crop. The cotton harvest is 54 percent complete -- 10 days behind the five-year average, due largely to rain in the Bootheel over the past two weeks.

Despite the rain, many cattle producers are worried about the low water levels in stock ponds and the supply of hay for winter. Pastures are rated 34 percent very poor, 22 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 15 percent good and 1 percent excellent.