DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa farmers are making big progress in getting the state's corn and soybean crops planted.
"Weather has cooperated wonderfully, and so here we sit with 78 percent of our corn crop in the ground and 46 percent of our soybeans. Farmers were able to put over a third of Iowa's expected corn and soybean crops in the ground last week" says Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig.
He says it's a big change from last year's rain- and flood-delayed planting season.
"Last year we were having to say all throughout the planting season, and really the growing season, that crops were a couplke of weeks behind average. It's great to be able to say that we're ahead of average this year" Naig says.
With uncertainty created by the COVID-19 coronavirus, Naig says it's clear that the state's corn and soybean farmers heeded the suggestion to avoid possible delays by taking early delivery of seed, fuel and fertilizer.