News

Sugarbeet planting begins

Warmer-than-normal temperatures and dry weather helped Michigan farmers get sugarbeets planted last week.

The USDA says winter wheat is now rated 68 percent good to excellent with 11 percent of the crop jointed, running ahead of last year and the five-year average.

Sugarbeets are now 14 percent planted and oats are at four percent.

The warm weather encouraged bud development in fruit crops with peaches in the southwest starting to bloom.

Michigan soils remain saturated with 33 percent of the state seeing a moisture surplus in topsoils and 21 percent of subsoils.