South Dakota farmers are finally making some good harvest progress after rain delays and they’re finding some surprisingly good yields, despite a tough growing season. Soybean harvest pace was behind in USDA’s crop progress report Monday with South Dakota at 48-percent verses the average of 78-percent. South Dakota Soybean Association Director and Elk Point farmer Doug Hanson says it’s been a frustrating and late harvest season, after 8 inches of rain the last couple of weeks.
Hanson says it’s been a challenging season and started with him planting late and in the mud. That was followed by dry conditions through July. So, he’s been surprised with the great soybean yields he’s harvesting.
In fact, those yields are just under last year’s record soybean crop on his farm. However, Hanson says it’s hard to make a fair comparison to 2016.
Corn harvest was also behind in South Dakota in Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report at 12-percent compared to 39-percent normally. However, farmers should make that up quickly with this week’s favorable weather.
