Even with many fields still saturated, farmers were able to make substantial progress harvesting wheat during the week. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, wheat acres harvested jumped to 69% complete, up from just 38% during the previous week.
Hay cutting made significant progress as well, with the second cutting of alfalfa now 26% complete, up from a mere 8% the week before. Soybean farmers made only slight advances, completing just 1% more of their planting for a total of 94% of all Illinois soybeans planted. However, due to flooding in parts of the state, some fields may need to be replanted.
Precipitation last week averaged just .88 inches across the state, .11 inches less than normal, leaving an average of 2.8 days suitable for fieldwork. This week, however, has seen a return to continued heavy rains for much of the state, without many opportunities for farmers to get back into their fields.
Crop conditions are holding steady from last week, with 61% of corn acres rated as good or excellent, and 52% of soybeans receiving the same marks.