By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – The heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of the Midwest have so far not delayed crop harvests in Missouri.
Nearly half of the Show-Me State's corn crop this year has been harvested, which Gene Danekas with the U.S.D.A. says is the normal pace. But he adds that any more heavy rain could wreak havoc with corn and other crops.
"If we keep getting an inch-and-a-half to two-and-a-half inches of rain every week, we could have problems getting the soybean crop out and getting the wheat crop in," Danekas said.
Heavy rains last year delayed Missouri's corn and soybean harvest and prevented farmers from planting winter wheat. Conditions have been better this year.
"Fourty-two percent, almost half of the corn, has been harvested, that's well over three weeks faster than we were last year," Danekas said. "I know there's some wet fields, especially after this last week, so that'll probably slow them down somewhat."
Danekas says, though, that favorable weather is expected over the next week to ten days.
Missouri farmers were able to replant some corn lost earlier this year to heavy rain and flooding.