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USDA meteorologist confirms 2019 as second-slowest harvest

USDA’s meteorologist confirms what many farmers suspected about this year’s late harvest. Brad Rippey says, “For the nation as a whole, this is the second-slowest corn harvest in the last quarter-century behind only 2009, and compared to this year’s 76% harvested on November 17th, the number in 2009 was even lower at 58%.”

And, Rippey says the overall picture for corn remains unfavorable. “We did pass the three-quarters mark on corn harvested to reach 76% overall by November 17th. That is sixteen percentage points behind the five-year average of 92% and thirteen points behind last year’s 89%.”

Rippey says farmers are suffering delays from wet fields and high moisture content in some of the grain, especially in the northern corn belt.  He says the worst conditions are in North Dakota, where the harvest is sixty-two percentage points behind its five-year average.