Farmers make substantial progress

CEDAR RAPIDS - Iowa farmers harvested more than one-fifth of the state's corn crop during the week ending on Nov. 9, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork last week - the most this crop season. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, cornstalk baling, and tiling fields.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent short, 86 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus.

Eighty-two percent of Iowa's corn acreage was harvested - 2 days behind 2013 and 1 day behind the five-year average. Corn harvest advanced 21 percentage points from last week, the most harvested during this week in November since 1993.

Soybean harvest reached 96 percent complete - 3 days behind last year but at the normal pace.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 60 percent moderate to heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated at 86 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 81 percent adequate to surplus. 'Phenomenal harvest progress has been made the past two weeks and farmers are now nearly on pace with the five-year average, with 82 percent of the corn and 96 percent of soybeans out of the field,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey in a news release.