Released: November 22, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending November 21, 2004 SD-CW4704 Volume 53 Issue 47

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Warm temperatures and minimal precipitation across the state allowed harvest to advance significantly in several areas throughout the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. However, wet fields and high-moisture corn continue to cause delays for some farmers and ranchers. Major farm activities included combining row crops, fall tillage, working cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, 5.7 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 weather was beneficial for harvest progress, with scattered precipitation causing delays in several areas. Temperatures ranged in the upper 30's and lower 40's. The high temperature for the week was 67 degrees, reported in Rapid City. The low for the week was 13 degrees, reported in Porcupine. Yankton reported the most precipitation last week, at 0.97 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    With another week of scattered precipitation, soil moisture levels remain mostly unchanged from the previous week. Topsoil moisture is currently rated at 82 percent adequate to surplus, similar to the previous week and well above last year's 30 percent adequate and surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated at 72 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 73 percent adequate to surplus and last year's 21 percent adequate and surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Many farmers and ranchers continued to wait for crops and fields to dry out before continuing with the harvest. Wet fields have prevented harvest equipment from getting into the fields, with wet corn forcing farmers and ranchers to spend more time drying down corn to acceptable levels for storage. Corn harvest advanced 17 percentage points last week, with harvest now 87 percent complete. Corn harvest remains behind last year's 99 percent and the five-year average of 97 percent complete. Sorghum harvest nears completion with the crop 94 percent harvested, behind last year's 100 percent and the five-year average of 99 percent. Sunflower harvest also remains behind, with harvest 89 percent complete, compared to last year's 100 percent and the five-year average of 98 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Mild weather has been beneficial to cattle and sheep, with condition ratings in the fair to excellent range. With field residue being used across the state as an additional feed source, feed supplies are rated at 72 percent adequate to surplus. Stock water supplies are currently rated at 63 percent adequate to surplus.

                                     
          SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                 AS OF November 21, 2004 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     3    30     12     13    47
Short      14    15    40     16     14    32
Adeq.      73    76    30     66     69    21
Surplus     9     6     0      6      4     0
                    

             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                 AS OF November 21, 2004 
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent

Winter wheat   0       0     24      52     24
Cattle         0       2     18      61     19
Sheep          0       5     17      59     19
     
                         
       CROP PROGRESS AS OF November 21, 2004  1/ 
                                                                                        

                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 grain harvested     87     70     99      97
Sorghum     
 grain harvested     94     90    100      99
Sunflower   
 harvested           89     76    100      98

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING November 21, 2004
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      42              Gettysburg   39
Brookings      41              Nisland      39
Caputa         38              Pierre       41
Chamberlain    42              Redfield     38
Cottonwood     38              Watertown    38





	        TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                 WEEK ENDING November 21, 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       38  +9  61  15| 0.00  12.51  10.53  -3.87  -3.83
Buffalo     40 +11  62  19| 0.00  10.01   9.60  -3.50  -2.69
Dupree      37  +7  59  16| 0.00  19.51  17.96  +3.44  +3.63
Mc Intosh   38 +10  60  16| 0.00  14.41  12.98  -1.55  -1.46
Newell      38  +8  63  16| 0.00  12.05  10.59  -2.58  -2.50
Timber Lake 37  +8  58  16| 0.00  16.57  14.38  -0.52  -0.70
Aberdeen    37  +9  56  15| 0.02  21.35  18.86  +3.36  +3.11
Eureka      37 +11  58  16| 0.00  16.59  15.20  +0.05  +0.29
Faulkton    39 +12  64  18| 0.00  25.69  23.10  +7.60  +7.17
Mobridge    39 +10  59  15| 0.00  14.76  13.73  -1.62  -0.69
Roscoe      36  +9  60  17| 0.00  22.67  19.57  +4.49  +3.37
Britton     39 +12  57  22| 0.02  21.77  20.23  +3.49  +3.70
Clear Lake  39 +11  53  19| 0.28  33.57  31.60 +10.11 +11.11
Sisseton    40 +11  56  26| 0.12  23.19  21.49  +2.78  +3.57
Webster     38 +11  54  22| 0.02  24.36  21.43  +4.00  +3.41
Watertown   39 +11  55  20| 0.21  26.34  24.97  +4.77  +5.99
Faith       40 +10  62  18| 0.00  19.38  18.66  +3.26  +4.40
Milesville  38  +7  61  16| 0.00  20.88  18.89  +3.38  +3.36
Long Valley 38  +5  63  17| 0.00  17.40  15.42  +0.06  +0.01
Philip      39  +7  65  14| 0.00  15.28  14.47  -0.30  +0.57
Rapid City  40  +8  67  17| 0.00  13.14  11.20  -2.93  -2.88
Spearfish   40  +8  61  18| 0.00  14.81  12.39  -6.41  -5.97
Chamberlain 41  +9  64  22| 0.24  24.05  20.83  +7.09  +5.69
Highmore    39  +9  60  17| 0.00  24.42  22.15  +5.24  +5.11
Huron       40 +11  61  19| 0.21  28.67  25.51  +9.22  +8.87
Onida       39  +9  60  18| 0.00  19.73  16.99  +2.01  +1.66
Pierre      40  +8  60  19| 0.00  18.10  15.74  +0.09  -0.18
Brookings   38 +10  54  18| 0.45  25.21  23.40  +2.81  +3.04
Madison     39 +10  55  19| 0.38  26.84  24.94  +3.74  +5.02
Mitchell    40  +9  60  22| 0.53  30.65  27.69  +9.42  +9.16
Sioux Falls 42 +12  60  20| 0.51  30.69  27.12  +7.77  +7.06
Custer      35  +4  61  18| 0.02  11.89  10.41  -6.43  -5.99
Hot Springs 38  +4  65  20| 0.00  12.40  10.24  -2.99  -3.62
Oelrichs    37  +4  64  16| 0.00  11.93  10.09  -4.36  -4.23
Porcupine   37  +6  66  13| 0.00  14.92  12.30  -0.52  -1.62
Murdo       40  +9  65  20| 0.00  17.71  15.26  +0.24  +0.11
Winner      42  +8  66  24| 0.10  22.56  18.98  -0.21  -0.90
Armour      42  +9  61  24| 0.54  23.73  20.36  +1.57  +1.15
Centerville 41 +10  62  20| 0.95  27.63  23.40  +3.53  +2.14
Marion      41 +11  60  23| 0.71  32.74  29.34  +9.20  +8.87
Pickstown   43  +9  65  25| 0.51  21.26  18.67  -0.17  -0.20
Vermillion  45 +11  63  22| 0.86  28.10  23.29  +4.30  +2.18
Yankton     43 +10  66  25| 0.97  30.81  25.56  +8.11  +5.42


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