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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana farmers are getting closer to completing the crop planting that's been badly delayed by this spring's frequent rains.
The newest U.S. Department of Agriculture report shows 84% percent of Indiana's expected corn crop was planted at the start of this week. That's up from just 31% from two weeks ago. The state's five-year average for this time of year is 100 percent.
Farmers in neighboring states are also struggling. Illinois has 88% of its corn crop planted, while Ohio is only 68% completed.
Agricultural officials say the wet spring has forced some farmers to consider switching corn acreage to other crops.
The latest report lists 64% of Indiana's soybean crop as planted, up from 17% two weeks ago. The state's five-year average is 94% for soybean planting.
Agriculture experts say late plantings are likely to reduce yields. Last week, the USDA lowered the projected total corn yield to 13.68 billion bushels, compared to 14.3 billion bushels last year.
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