January

The main farm activities for the month of January were feeding cattle and repairing and maintaining farm equipment. Wet conditions hampered livestock feeding and handling activities. However, cattle were rated in good condition during the month. Wet conditions also slowed livestock marketings . Hay supplies were rated mostly adequate, with some areas reporting a surplus. The state's wheat crop was rated in fair to good condition during the month. Rainfall and temperatures were above normal in January across most of the state.

February

The main farm activities for the month of February were equipment maintenance and feeding and tending to livestock. Wet conditions during the month delayed some farmers from fertilizing, preparing fields and planting corn. Mild temperatures allowed ryegrass to grow exceptionally well in some areas. Weather conditions hampered grazing of cattle in a few areas. Hay supplies were rated short to adequate across the state. The wheat crop was rated in fair to good condition during the month. Rainfall and temperatures continued mostly above normal during the February.

March

Farmers were busy preparing land for the 1998 crop year during March. Corn farmers planted about 26 percent of the state's corn crop during the month. By the end of the month, 3 percent of the corn crop had emerged. Approximately 50 percent of the wheat crop had developed to the jointing stage, while about 4 percent of the crop was heading by the end of the month. The wheat crop was rated in mostly fair to good condition during March. Some farmers applied fertilizer to winter grazing land. Planting of watermelons was also underway in south Mississippi with about 15 percent planted by the end of March, the same as last year. Cattle and pastures were both rated in fair to good condition. For the last week of the month, there were 5.2 days suitable for field work, and soil moisture was rated as 75 percent adequate and 21 percent surplus.

April

By mid-April, Mississippi farmers had begun planting all major row crops. Corn plantings were 82 percent complete by the end of the month compared with a five-year average of 87 percent. Soybean plantings were 22 percent complete by the end of the month, compared to 21 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 20 percent. Planting of the rice, cotton and sorghum crops lagged behind last year, and with the exception of rice, behind the five-year average. The overall condition of the crops was rated as mostly fair to good. Days suitable for field work ranged from 4.3 to 5.3 days per week for April. Precipitation was below normal in many areas of the state.

May

Planting activities neared completion for most row crops by the end of May. The corn crop was developing well, with about 96 percent of the crop emerged compared to a five-year average of 99 percent. Cotton and soybean crops were 91 and 82 percent planted, respectively. Mississippi's sweet potato growers had planted approximately 23 percent of the crop by the end of the month, compared to a five-year average of 22 percent. The condition of most crops was rated as fair to good. The Mississippi wheat harvest began during May with about 20 percent of the crop harvested by month's end, compared to a five-year average of 12 percent. At the end of May, some corn fields had progressed to the silking phenological stage, while some early cotton fields had progressed to the squaring stage.

June

The state received rainfall at the beginning of June, but near drought conditions prevailed in many areas by the end of the month. For the month, precipitation was well below normal across most of the state. Soil moisture was rated short to adequate during the first week of the month and was rated very short to short at the end of the month. The main farm activities during June were weed and insect control and harvesting wheat and hay. About 94 percent of the cotton crop was squaring, and 23 percent of the crop was setting bolls at month's end. The soybean crop was 98 percent planted, with 94 percent of the crop emerged, and 42 percent of the crop blooming at the end of the month. The wheat harvest was virtually complete by month's end. The state's warm season hay harvest was 48 percent complete. General crop conditions were rated in fair to good condition, although dry conditions were beginning to stress many crops. Days suitable for field work ranged from 4.5 to 6.9 days per week during the month.

July

During July, many Mississippi farmers were applying insecticides and herbicides to row crops. The warm season hay and watermelon harvest progressed steadily throughout the month. Most of the crops continued to be rated in fair condition. By the end of July, corn crop development had reached about 16 percent mature. Corn silage harvest was at 53 percent complete, compared to 24 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 27 percent. Most of the cotton crop was setting bolls by the end of the month. Most late soybean plantings were completed, and about 92 percent of the crop was blooming by the end of the month. About 67 percent of the soybean crop was setting pods, ahead of the five-year average. The rice crop was about 50 percent headed by the end of July, while the sorghum crop was around 94 percent headed. Days suitable for field work ranged from 3.0 to 6.5 days per week during July. Above normal temperatures continued to stress crops across most of the state.

August

The main farming activities for the month of August were harvesting corn, corn silage, rice, sorghum, sorghum silage, warm season hay and sweet potatoes. By the end of the month, about 73 percent of the cotton crop was opening bolls, compared to16 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 52 percent. Twenty-six percent of the soybean crop was shedding leaves, compared to 16 percent last year and a five-year average of 18 percent. The rice crop development by the end of August was reported as 95 percent headed and 42 percent mature, while about 21 percent of the crop had been harvested. Many corn farmers reported high levels of aflatoxin in the harvested corn. With the exception of corn, row crops were rated in fair condition. Pasture and cattle were also reported in fair to good condition. Soil moisture was primarily rated short during the month because of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitaion. Days suitable for field work ranged from 4.6 to 6.8 days per week during the month.

September

Row crop harvests were the main farm activities in much of the state during September. The corn harvest was 99 percent complete by month's end, compared to 89 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 89 percent. The cotton harvest was 35 percent complete by the end of September, compared to 8 percent last year and a five-year average of 24 percent. The state's rice harvest was 86 percent complete by month's end,

compared to 65 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 78 percent. The grain sorghum harvest was 97 percent complete by the end of September, compared to 75 percent last year and a five-year average of 87 percent. The soybean crop harvest was 49 percent complete by the end of September, compared to 33 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 35 percent. The sweet potato harvest was about 35 percent complete, compared to 27 percent last year and a five-year average of 44 percent.

Farmers reported insect pressure in soybean fields. Cotton defoliation began in some cotton fields across the state. Fall wheat planting started during the second week of September and was reported at about 2 percent. Wheat seedings reached about 12 percent by the end of the month. Cattle conditions and pasture conditions were rated in fair to good condition during the month. Drought conditions continued in many areas of the state, with soil moisture primarily rated as short to adequate during the month. Days suitable for field work ranged from 5.3 to 6.8 days per week during September. Hurricane Georges hit the gulf coast of Mississippi at the end of the month and caused damage to crops and households in some southeastern counties. Many row crop yields were reduced in some southern counties.

October

Corn and sorghum harvests were virtually complete during the first week of the month. Most other row crop harvests neared completion by the end of October. The cotton harvest was 94 percent complete by month's end, compared to 76 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 81 percent. By the end of October, the state's rice harvest was virtually complete. The soybean harvest was about 91 percent complete at the end of the month, compared to 75 percent in 1997 and a five-year average of 74 percent. The sweet potato harvest was 85 percent complete, compared to 75 percent last year and a five-year average of 82 percent. Wheat plantings were 60 percent complete, and about 39 percent of the crop had emerged.

November

The cotton, soybean and sweet potato harvests were complete by the end of the month. Wheat plantings were virtually complete, and about 97 percent of the crop had emerged. Needed rain came at the beginning of the month which helped wheat crop development. Wheat and cattle were rated in fair to good condition for the month. Many farmers fed cattle throughout the month. Soil moisture was rated in short to adequate condition for the month.

December

The main farming activities for the month of December were feeding cattle, repairing and maintaining farm equipment, planning for 1999, and performing other winter farm chores. Wheat crop conditions and cattle conditions were rated in fair to good condition. Hay supplies and feed grain supplies were rated as short to adequate for the month. The first half of the month had normal rainfall, while ice covered much of the state during the last week of the month.