Secretary Naig Says Harvest on Pace, Perhaps Slightly Ahead

The weekly USDA crop report is on hold while the government remains on shutdown, but the state’s top ag official is seeing progress. 

Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says mostly dry conditions and warm temperatures gave farmers a wide window for harvest progress last week. 

Naig says looking at the past five years of reported averages, Iowa farmers have harvested about 85 percent of soybeans and 60 percent of corn by this point in the season. Based on what he’s hearing from farmers around the state, he says they’re on pace this year and maybe even a little ahead of schedule.

partial story contribution courtesy of Radio Iowa; photo courtesy of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture’s Office