Minnesota Crop Harvest Delayed as Crops Struggle to Mature
Corn and soybean harvest rates are behind yearly averages due to slow to mature crops
According to a recent article from the PostBulletin, the Minnesota crop harvest is well behind pace as corn and soybean maturity levels lag far behind traditional yearly averages.
At this time last year, nearly all of the corn for Minnesota farmers was mature, and the harvest had started. However, this year, just 41% of the corn crop is mature and very little has yet to be brought in for harvest. This is according to stats from the latest USDA crop progress report cited in the article.
Minnesota farmers are seeing similar delays with maturity in their soybeans, also resulting in harvest completion rates far behind yearly averages. The article shows that just 9% of soybean acreage has been harvested this year, down significantly from 72% a year ago. Just 40% of the nearly un-harvested soybean crop has reached maturity, compared to 66% at this time last year. However, this number is a rather large leap from a week ago, when only 9% of soybeans had hit maturity in Minnesota.
The behind yearly average maturity and harvest rates can be largely attributed to a late planting season across the state, which was the result of a cold, wet spring that delayed farmers from getting their crops planted.
Crop producers across Minnesota are struggling to catch up to average harvesting rates, as a late planting season has led to a crop supply that is lagging in maturity. The late planting and slow maturity has led some Minnesota farmers to worry about the first freeze affecting their harvest, especially those in the southeast portion of the state.