Released: November 15, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending November 14, 2004 SD-CW4604 Volume 53 Issue 46

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Warm weather last week did little to ease the struggle with wet fields and high moisture corn throughout the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. While progress was made in the harvest of corn, sorghum, and sunflowers, harvest remains behind normal for all three crops. Major farm activities included combining row crops, fall tillage, working cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, 6.4 days were suitable for fieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, Farm Service Agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Warm, dry weather throughout the state allowed farmers and ranchers to make significant harvest progress last week. Temperatures averaged in the upper 30's last week, with Yankton having the high temperature for the week at 71 degrees and Pickstown having the low, at 9 degrees. Only trace amounts of precipitation were received at 2 weather reporting stations.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remain similar to the previous week. Topsoil moisture was rated at 82 percent adequate to surplus, with subsoil moisture levels rated at 73 percent adequate to surplus, compared to 84 and 71 respectively, last week. Soil temperatures averaged 3.3 degrees above normal for the state last week, with the average soil temperature for the state at 40.6 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Wet fields and wet corn continue to cause delays for farmers throughout the state. Many farmers have resorted to harvesting only the driest parts of fields, leaving wet areas for harvest after the ground hardens from freezing temperatures. Corn harvest advanced 23 percentage points, bring harvest up to 70 percent complete. Corn harvest is well behind last year's 97 percent and the five-year average of 92 percent. Sorghum harvest advanced to 90 percent complete, behind the five-year average of 96 percent. Sunflower harvest advanced 29 percentage points, with harvest now 76 percent complete, well behind last year's 99 percent and the five-year average of 96 percent. Winter wheat emergence nears completion with 98 percent of the crop emerged, ahead of last year's 89 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle and sheep remained in mostly fair to excellent condition again last week. Farmers and ranchers continue to utilize field residue as an additional feed source. Feed supplies are rated at 72 percent adequate to surplus, with stock water supplies rated at 66 percent adequate to surplus for the state.

                                     
          SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                 AS OF November 14, 2004 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     4    30     13     12    47
Short      15    12    40     14     17    32
Adeq.      76    77    30     69     68    21
Surplus     6     7     0      4      3     0
                    

             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                 AS OF November 14, 2004 
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent

Winter wheat   0       0     23      61     16
Cattle         0       1     18      69     12
Sheep          0       3     12      65     20
     
                         
       CROP PROGRESS AS OF November 14, 2004  1/ 
                                                                                        

                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 grain harvested     70     47     97      92
Sorghum     
 grain harvested     90     76     99      96
Soybeans    
 harvested          100     99    100      99
Sunflower   
 harvested           76     47     99      96
Winter wheat
 emerged             98     95     89      90

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING November 14, 2004
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      40              Gettysburg   40
Brookings      40              Nisland      42
Caputa         41              Pierre       43
Chamberlain    44              Redfield     40
Cottonwood     41              Watertown    38





	        TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                 WEEK ENDING November 14, 2004
                                     
             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       39  +6  62  16| 0.00  12.51  10.53  -3.73  -3.69
Buffalo     42  +9  68  20| 0.00  10.01   9.60  -3.43  -2.62
Dupree      39  +5  59  14| 0.00  19.51  17.96  +3.51  +3.70
Mc Intosh   38  +6  57  12| 0.00  14.41  12.98  -1.48  -1.39
Newell      39  +6  68  18| 0.00  12.05  10.59  -2.48  -2.40
Timber Lake 37  +5  60  15| 0.00  16.57  14.38  -0.40  -0.58
Aberdeen    37  +6  60  11| 0.00  21.33  18.84  +3.48  +3.23
Eureka      38  +8  57  11| 0.00  16.59  15.20  +0.17  +0.41
Faulkton    36  +5  60  11| 0.00  25.69  23.10  +7.73  +7.30
Mobridge    39  +6  55  12| 0.00  14.76  13.73  -1.48  -0.55
Roscoe      34  +2  57  11| 0.00  22.67  19.57  +4.63  +3.51
Britton     38  +7  61  11| 0.00  21.75  20.21  +3.61  +3.82
Clear Lake  36  +4  62  15| 0.00  33.29  31.32 +10.04 +11.04
Sisseton    37  +4  63  16| 0.00  23.07  21.37  +2.87  +3.66
Webster     38  +7  60  18| 0.00  24.34  21.41  +4.12  +3.53
Watertown   37  +5  62  15| 0.00  26.13  24.76  +4.72  +5.94
Faith       38  +5  57  16| 0.00  19.38  18.66  +3.34  +4.48
Milesville  39  +4  61  14| 0.00  20.88  18.89  +3.48  +3.46
Long Valley 40  +3  66  14| 0.00  17.40  15.42  +0.13  +0.08
Philip      39  +3  65  14| 0.01  15.28  14.47  -0.23  +0.64
Rapid City  41  +6  68  17| 0.00  13.14  11.20  -2.79  -2.74
Spearfish   41  +5  64  17| 0.00  14.81  12.39  -6.23  -5.79
Chamberlain 40  +5  66  15| 0.00  23.81  20.59  +6.92  +5.52
Highmore    39  +6  62  14| 0.00  24.42  22.15  +5.37  +5.24
Huron       39  +6  64  13| 0.00  28.46  25.30  +9.15  +8.80
Onida       39  +6  61  13| 0.00  19.73  16.99  +2.15  +1.80
Pierre      40  +5  63  17| 0.00  18.10  15.74  +0.19  -0.08
Brookings   35  +3  63  11| 0.00  24.76  22.95  +2.53  +2.76
Madison     36  +3  64  11| 0.00  26.46  24.56  +3.58  +4.86
Mitchell    38  +3  65  14| 0.00  30.12  27.16  +9.10  +8.84
Sioux Falls 40  +6  65  14| 0.00  30.18  26.61  +7.51  +6.80
Custer      40  +6  70  14| 0.00  11.87  10.39  -6.33  -5.89
Hot Springs 40  +3  69  18| 0.00  12.40  10.24  -2.92  -3.55
Oelrichs    39  +3  68  17| 0.00  11.93  10.09  -4.22  -4.09
Porcupine   40  +6  67  14| 0.00  14.92  12.30  -0.45  -1.55
Murdo       40  +6  64  15| 0.00  17.71  15.26  +0.37  +0.24
Winner      40  +3  63  15| 0.00  22.46  18.88  -0.17  -0.86
Armour      40  +4  65  16| 0.00  23.19  19.82  +1.24  +0.82
Centerville 39  +4  67  14| 0.08  26.68  22.45  +2.79  +1.40
Marion      38  +4  66  14| 0.00  32.03  28.63  +8.77  +8.44
Pickstown   42  +5  70   9| 0.00  20.75  18.16  -0.47  -0.50
Vermillion  41  +3  70  12| 0.00  27.24  22.43  +3.69  +1.57
Yankton     38  +2  71  13| 0.00  29.84  24.59  +7.35  +4.66


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