USDA: Excessive rainfall hits quality of Indiana's corn crop

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Agricultural officials say this year's Indiana corn crop is expected to be among lowest quality in three decades following planting delays caused by excessive spring rainfall.

Greg Matli is a statistician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. He tells The Herald-Times that the agency expects Indiana's 2019 corn to be the fifth-lowest in quality since 1986.

Monday's report from the agency rates just 38 percent of Indiana's corn crop as currently of good to excellent quality.

That comes after heavy spring rains significantly delayed the planting of corn and soybeans, likely lowering crop yields.

Sadie Davis is the Purdue Extension office director in southwestern Indiana's Greene County. She calls this spring's wet field conditions "astounding" and something Hoosier farmers haven't seen in a long time.

___

Information from: The Herald Times, http://www.heraldtimesonline.com