Minnesota crops remain strong despite drought

It’s been a dry summer for many Minnesotan farmers as drought conditions blanket much of the state.

But rain has come for key production areas in recent weeks. Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen called the showers “crop-saving rain” at this year’s annual ag trade show, Farmfest, in Redwood County in southwest Minnesota.

“Right here, we were dry, but the crop looks really good,” Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish added. “We’ve been blessed here, just getting some timely rains in this immediate area.”

That rain could make a big difference for farmers’ fields, according to senior marketing analyst Mark Schultz with Northstar Commodities.

“The rain that you picked up last Friday was anywhere from a 20 to 30 bushel per acre swing on the size of your crop,” said Schultz. “I think it was just that big of a difference maker in the crop.”

That rain could help strengthen this year’s crop production. Last year, Minnesota had record or near-record yields of corn, wheat and soybeans. University of Minnesota Extension Professor Edward Usset said this year’s crop is looking “as good or better” than last year’s.

“We have a shot at setting yield records again in all three crops,” said Usset. “A lot can happen in the last four or five weeks of this crop, but we have that chance to do it.”

Southwest and central Minnesota will still need more than five inches of rain in the coming months to reverse drought conditions, according to projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Minnesota producers will have a clearer picture of yields on Wednesday when the U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes its latest crop production report.