Farmers get weather break but crops remain behind schedule

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers in Iowa finally got a break in the weather last week to catch up on planting, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the state remains significantly behind average seasons in crop development.

The USDA reported Monday that Iowa farmers have now planted 93% of the corn crop, about three weeks behind the five-year average.

For soybeans, the Iowa crop is 70% planted, about 17 days behind the average for this time of year.