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Corn harvest running behind
Published 11/18/2009 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
Corn harvest in Kansas is more than halfway completed in most areas, according to area co-ops and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
And most area farmers and co-ops are seeing an excellent corn crop this year.
NASS reported that farmers took full advantage of the weather last week to harvest, but still were behind in average progress.
The wet weekend weather slowed progress early in the week, but co-op officials and farmers expect this week's warm, sunny afternoon temperatures to provide plenty of field time.
Sixty-eight percent of the corn crop reportedly has been harvested, behind both last year at 80 percent and the five-year average of 93 percent.
Ninety percent of winter wheat has been planted, behind last year's 94 percent and the five-year average of 97 percent.
In southwest Kansas, NASS said 47 percent of corn has been harvested, 43 percent of sorghum, 84 percent of soybeans and 98 percent of winter wheat has been planted, with 85 percent of winter wheat emerged.
Dave Erwin, at Syracuse Co-op Exchange, said the corn harvest was finished in Hamilton County.
"It was better than average," Erwin said. "Yields were pretty good, the quality was quite good. We had the right amount of moisture this year," he said.
At Grant County's United Prairie Ag, Warren Devore reported corn is 90 to 95 percent done.
Dan Hild, from Tribune Grain in Greeley County, said the dry corn is about to wrap up and the harvest is more than 80 percent completed.
"Most people are satisfied with the crop they had, depending on the area," Hild said. He said the driest part of the county was the southeast.
"Then it varied from there," he said.
In Scott County at the Scott Co-op Association, Gary Friesen reported the corn crop was 80 to 85 percent done. He said overall, the crop has been excellent this year.
"The yields are incredible, and the quality has been," he said. "We had an excellent growing season that helped grow a great crop."
Friesen said because the crop has been so great, it's been hard to complete harvest.
"We've battled drying down time," he said.
Friesen attributes the great crop to the humid, cooler temperatures earlier in the season.
"Instead of that terrible August heat, it stayed cool for the most part," he said.
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