Favorable forecast for farmers

Posted on September 10, 2019

Mark Schleusener, state statistician for the USDA, said the weather forecast for the coming week is encouraging. (Photo courtesy Facebook/IL Corn) 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The weather forecast is pretty good for the state’s farmers.

“The later planted corn, in particular, needs some additional heat to reach its maturity,” says USDA Illinois crop statistician Mark Schleusener. “The thing that producers are worried about may be an earlier than normal killing frost.”

The crop conditions could be of concern, with roughly 20 percent of corn and soybeans each in poor-to-very-poor condition, and about 40 percent of each in good-to-excellent condition.

Corn is eight percent maturing, and soybeans have begun coloring.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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