Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the state’s warm and mostly dry weather has given farmers another solid week to make harvest progress.
Naig commented Monday following the release of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s weekly weather summary. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s regular Crop Progress and Condition Report was unavailable this week due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, Naig says farmers are on pace and perhaps even slightly ahead of the state’s typical harvest schedule.
Over the past five years, Iowa farmers have typically completed about 85% of soybean harvest and 60% of corn harvest by this point in the season.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan says last week brought above-normal warmth, especially in southern Iowa, where temperatures ran up to 14 degrees above normal. The statewide average temperature was 61.4 degrees, more than 10 degrees warmer than usual.
Most areas of the state recorded measurable rain, with the heaviest totals in eastern and southeastern Iowa. Burlington saw nearly an inch and a half of rain, while northwest Iowa received little to none.
Looking ahead, Naig says northern Iowa could see its first widespread freeze of the season this week, but the extended forecast calls for warmer temperatures and additional rain chances through the end of October.
