CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) - Heavy April rain could mean lower yields for Missouri's corn crops.
April's record-setting 20 inches of rain either kept farmers out of their fields or washed away corn they had already planted.
The USDA crop progress reports said with drier weather in the past two weeks, Southeast Missouri has gone from having 43 percent of its corn planted on May 8 to 77 percent planted as of May 22.
The Southeast Missourian reports that typically, all of Southeast Missouri's corn is planted by the end of April.
Mike Geske, who's on the National Corn Growers Association board of directors, said this year has been "extremely challenging" for farmers. Prices are at historically high levels. He says it could have been a record year, but could still be a good year.
Information from: Southeast Missourian, http://www.semissourian.com