U.S. corn harvest, not done, meets snow

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. corn harvest neared 78 percent completion this week as snow began falling in parts of Midwest growing areas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The crop's five-year average for U.S. corn harvest is 94 percent complete for this week of the year, the department said Monday.

The soybean harvest, in contrast, is near 1 percentage point below its five-year average at 95 percent complete, the weekly Crop Progress Report said.

U.S. winter wheat planting matches its 96 percent completion average for this week of the year. Showing 88 percent emergence, the winter wheat crop has matched its historic average in growth, as well.

Cotton is 6 percentage points behind its harvest average with 64 percent of the harvest complete, while peanuts are 95 percent harvested, sugar beets 100 percent done and sunflowers lagging with 77 percent of the harvest done compared with an historic average of 92 percent, the report said.