USDA WEEKLY CROP UPDATE

Excessive soil moisture continues to slow fieldwork in Minnesota. USDA’s latest weekly crop report shows there were just three days suitable for planting, cutting hay and spraying statewide.  Corn is 96-percent planted and 84 percent emerged.  74-percent of the crop is rated in good to excellent condition.  Soybean planting is 87-percent complete, over a week behind last year and three days behind the five-year average.  The condition rating is 71-percent good to excellent.  Spring wheat, barley and oat planting are nearly finished, with crop condition ratings in the mid to upper 70s.  The condition rating for sugarbeets has plummeted recently, down to 67-percent good to excellent as of Sunday.  The first cutting of alfalfa hay is 44-percent done.