Released: November 4, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending November 3, 2002 SD-CW4402 Volume 51 Issue 44

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    The cool, wet weather of last week caused the drying of crops in the field to slow down and crop harvest to fall even farther behind, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included harvesting row crops, fall plowing, baling corn stalks, weaning and selling calves, and moving cattle to fall grazing. Statewide, there were 3.5 days reported suitable for fieldwork last week. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Cool temperatures, snow, and rain were the dominant characteristics of the weather last week. Temperatures ranged from -2 in Porcupine to 53 in Oelrichs, with the average in the mid-twenties. Scattered snow and rain fell across the state, with weather stations reporting amounts from no precipitation in Buffalo, Long Valley, Newell, and Rapid City to 1.04 inches in Yankton.

SOIL CONDITION:    The precipitation received last week did little to improve soil conditions. Topsoil moisture is rated short or very short across 42 percent of the state. Subsoil moisture is rated at 55 percent short or very short. The eastern portion of the state is at mostly adequate for soil moisture again last week. Many western counties continue to see short or very short moisture levels. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 36 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Rain, snow, and mud slowed harvest progress. The corn crop is now 54 percent harvested, compared to 81 percent last year and the five-year average of 78 percent. Soybeans are rated 91 percent harvested, compared to 99 percent last year and the five-year average of 97 percent. Sorghum for grain has reached 79 percent harvested, while sunflower are now 80 percent harvested, both behind last year's progress. Winter wheat emergence is at 93 percent, compared to 91 percent last year.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Producers continue to utilize crop residues and stalk bales as feed sources last week. Feed supplies are rated at 27 percent very short, 32 percent short, 40 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Cattle and sheep remained in mostly fair to good condition last week. The condition of range and pastures remains constant, with the majority in very poor to poor condition. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

     FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
         AS OF November 3, 2002 

              FEED        STOCK WATER 
            SUPPLIES        SUPPLIES 
        This  Last 5-Yr.   This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Year  Year  Ave.    Year  Year   Ave.

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     27     4    NA     33      9    6
Short      32    17    NA     26     20   13
Adeq.      40    75    NA     40     68   72
Surplus     1     4    NA      1      3    9


    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF November 3, 2002 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     18    16    11     29     28    11
Short      24    23    32     26     24    35
Adeq.      53    58    57     43     47    53
Surplus     5     3     0      2      1     1
   



    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF November 3, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   4      10     32      43     11
Winter Rye    10       2     39      34     15
Cattle         5       7     30      48     10
Sheep          6       8     23      54      9
Range & 
   Pasture    30      27     27      14      2        



    CROP PROGRESS AS OF November 3, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 grain harvested     54     45     81      78
Sorghum      
 grain harvested     79     66     93      85
Soybeans    
 harvested           91     88     98      97
Sunflower   
 harvested           80     74     87      87
Winter Wheat
 emerged             93     89     91      89 
Winter Rye  
 emerged             97     93    100      99                   

1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 



                             SOIL TEMPERATURES
               WEEK ENDING November 3, 2002 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      31              Gettysburg   37
Brookings      35              Nisland      40
Caputa         39              Pierre       39
Chamberlain    40              Redfield     36
Cottonwood     35              Watertown    35



                   TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                WEEK ENDING SUNDAY November 3, 2002
                                     
             TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   
             -----------  |       SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE
            CURRENT WEEK  | CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1
STATION    AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN
-------     --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Bison       22 -19  44   5| 0.16   7.13   6.54  -8.87  -7.50
Buffalo     26 -15  46   4| 0.00   5.32   4.95  -7.85  -7.04
Dupree      26 -16  45   8| 0.28   8.22   7.60  -7.57  -6.50
Mc Intosh   23 -17  42   3| 0.30   7.67   6.88  -8.01  -7.33
Newell      23 -18  47   4| 0.00  11.31  10.08  -2.98  -2.71
Timber Lake 25 -16  42   4| 0.12   8.22   7.40  -8.51  -7.37
Aberdeen    29 -11  45   9| 0.11  14.94  14.10  -2.67  -1.33
Eureka      27 -12  43   9| 0.07  13.80  13.15  -2.38  -1.45
Faulkton    30 -11  42  12| 0.34  16.98  15.69  -0.73  +0.08
Mobridge    28 -14  46   7| 0.07   7.89   7.71  -8.11  -6.39
Roscoe      26 -15  42   8| 0.11  12.86  12.02  -4.94  -3.86
Britton     28 -13  43  13| 0.17  12.35  11.59  -5.52  -4.57
Clear Lake  27 -14  42  11| 0.24  18.65  15.71  -4.13  -4.16
Sisseton    31 -10  47  15| 0.09  19.13  18.91  -0.68  +1.53
Webster     28 -12  41  12| 0.11  20.34  19.49  +0.45  +1.89
Watertown   28 -12  42  15| 0.11  17.24  16.53  -3.77  -1.95
Faith       24 -19  43   8| 0.30   8.44   8.25  -7.36  -5.74
Milesville  25 -19  48   4| 0.81  11.63  10.03  -5.52  -5.20
Long Valley 26 -18  47   1| 0.00   4.30   4.01 -12.74 -11.16
Philip      27 -17  50   6| 0.13   8.50   8.11  -6.78  -5.53
Rapid City  23 -20  44   3| 0.00  10.58   9.66  -5.11  -4.09
Spearfish   23 -19  46   5| 0.09  14.80  12.66  -5.86  -5.21
Chamberlain 27 -17  43  10| 0.64  14.61  12.89  -2.09  -2.04
Highmore    28 -14  43  10| 0.12  15.08  14.68  -3.69  -2.02
Huron       29 -13  44   8| 0.31  12.75  11.34  -6.23  -4.89
Onida       28 -15  45  10| 0.11  13.36  12.74  -3.97  -2.26
Pierre      29 -15  46  11| 0.08  14.11  13.63  -3.56  -2.00
Brookings   27 -12  42  12| 0.12  23.10  20.23  +1.23  +0.34
Madison     28 -13  41  12| 0.24  16.54  15.27  -5.86  -4.02
Mitchell    29 -14  42  13| 0.63  19.87  17.57  -0.79  -0.46
Sioux Falls 30 -12  42  13| 0.32  23.84  22.01  +1.65  +2.61
Custer      23 -17  46   5| 0.03  17.32  15.82  -0.64  -0.26
Hot Springs 28 -17  47  12| 0.02  14.39  11.98  -0.70  -1.62
Oelrichs    26 -18  53  11| 0.07  12.85  10.38  -3.06  -3.61
Porcupine   22 -19  48  -2| 0.07  13.25  11.58  -1.90  -2.09
Murdo       26 -17  45   8| 0.35  10.08   8.79  -7.01  -6.04
Winner      28 -18  43  10| 0.53  13.62  12.02  -8.69  -7.46
Armour      27 -17  41  11| 0.53  17.00  15.97  -4.59  -2.74
Centerville 29 -14  44  13| 0.49  21.51  20.46  -1.98  -0.25
Marion      28 -14  40  12| 0.49  21.27  19.79  -1.51  +0.00
Pickstown   28 -17  42  12| 0.77  16.86  15.74  -4.00  -2.63
Vermillion  31 -14  44  14| 0.53  23.64  22.52  +0.56  +2.07
Yankton     26 -18  44  13| 1.04  20.41  18.39  -1.67  -1.18
       
       

Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.