U.S. corn harvest nearing completion

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. corn harvest is completed in three states, but still trailing behind its historic average overall, the Department of Agriculture said.

Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee report corn harvests completed, but the 18 major corn states have reached 89 percent completion overall, lagging behind the crop's five-year average of 97 percent for harvest completion at this time of year, the weekly crop progress report said.

The nation's winter wheat crop shows 92 percent emergence, compared with a five-year average of 91 percent for this week of the year.

Conditions are good to excellent in 44 percent of the winter wheat cropland and poor to very poor in 19 percent. The remainder -- 37 percent -- is rated as fair.

The cotton crop is 73 percent completed against an historic completion average of 76 percent. Arkansas and Missouri report their cotton harvests are completed, the report said.