Cooler temperatures help with North Dakota sugar beet harvest as crop progresses to 62%, USDA says; 83% of corn crop reaches mature stage; 31 of grain harvested; 86% of soybeans harvested; 12% of sunflowers harvested

Nevin Barich

BISMARCK, North Dakota , October 17, 2011 (Associated Press) – Cooler temperatures during the past week have allowed growers in North Dakota to make significant progress in harvesting their sugarbeet crops.

The Agriculture Department says in its latest crop, livestock and weather report that 62 percent of the sugarbeet crop has been harvested and 83 percent of the corn crop had reached the mature stage while 31 percent had been harvested for grain.

Eighty-six percent of soybeans were harvested while 99 percent of sunflowers had bracts turned brown and 12 percent had been harvested.

Livestock stockwater supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 3 percent short, 82 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus. Pasture and range conditions were rated 1 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 53 percent good, and 15 percent excellent.

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