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Iowa’s corn harvest at 36 percent

Iowa’s soybean harvest is nearing the finish line, but the corn crop has a long ways to go.

As of Sunday, 81 percent of the state’s soybeans were harvested.   But corn harvest was only 36 percent complete, more than two weeks behind normal.  Many farmers continue to wait for corn to dry down in the field.  The average moisture content of corn across the state was around 19 percent, according to the weekly crop report from USDA.

“The agreeable weather last week allowed many farmers to make good harvest progress, but we remain behind the five-year average,” says Iowa secretary of agriculture Bill Northey.  “Wet fields and rain showers continue to slow progress in some areas and hopefully warm, dry weather will allow harvest to progress in a timely manner.”