Rains slow Minnesota's small grain harvest

Last week's rains slowed Minnesota's small grain harvest, but progress remains ahead of last year and the five-year average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that Minnesota spring wheat producers harvested 28 percent of the state's crop last week. That's on top of the 38 percent they harvested a week earlier. Overall, Minnesota's spring wheat harvest is 75 percent complete.

The state's barley and oats harvests were also slowed as 3.9 days were rated suitable for fieldwork, statewide, down from 5.5 days a week earlier. The barley and oats harvests are 71 percent and 82 percent complete, respectively.

Other ongoing harvests included: sweet corn at 32 percent complete, potatoes at 16 percent complete and canola at 21 percent complete.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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