Agricultural Summary

Row crop harvesting was again limited by rainfall over most of the State during the past week, as only 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies showed some improvement at 18 percent very short, 28 percent short, 48 percent adequate, and 6 percent surplus. A large majority of topsoil moisture ratings remain short to very short in the northeast, west-central, central and southwest districts, while the southeast district averages 55 percent surplus.

Field Crops Report

The corn harvest is 91 percent complete, a minor gain from a week earlier and 1 day behind last year but still 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Virtually any corn remaining to be harvested is in the northern third of the State where completion rates have reached 72 percent in the northwest district, 91 percent north-central and 92 percent in the northeast. Seventy-one percent of the soybean crop is harvested, 4 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of the 70 percent average. Harvest is most advanced in the central and northeast districts at 80 and 83 percent, respectively, while the southwest at 58 percent and the south-central at 42 percent are the least advanced. Eighty-five percent of the sorghum crop has been harvested, 1 day ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of normal. Ninety-seven percent of the rice crop has been harvested, 6 days behind last year’s early harvest but 5 days ahead of normal. Cotton harvesting, at 54 percent complete, is over 2 weeks behind last year and 10 days behind the 5-year average, as substantial rainfall of the past 2 weeks in the Bootheel sharply limited progress. Winter wheat seeding is 75 percent complete, 3 days behind last year but 4 days ahead of average. Wheat emergence of 51 percent is slightly behind last year but 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Condition of the crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, a slight improvement for most of the State but a decline in condition for the Bootheel where wheat has suffered from excess moisture.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is reported as 34 percent very poor, 22 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 15 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, similar to a week earlier. Rainfall of the past 2 weeks has been of some help to pastures but the benefits have been limited by the cool weather and coming so late in the season. Many cattle producers are concerned about hay supplies for winter, as well as water levels still being low in stock ponds.

Weather Summary

Temperatures during the past week were 6 to 10 degrees below normal, with most areas having lows which averaged well below the freezing mark except for the Bootheel which fell to the low 30’s. Rainfall averaged 1.52 inches for the week, varying by area from less than 1 inch in the north-central, northeast and southwest districts to nearly 2 inches or more in the west-central, east-central, south-central and southeast districts. Counties receiving over 3 inches included Sainte Genevieve, Bollinger, Carter and Madison.