Minn. soybean harvest advances rapidly

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota farmers continue to make rapid progress on the state's soybean harvest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop progress and conditions report for the state that Minnesota producers have harvested 45 percent of the soybean crop as of Sunday, up 29 percentage points from a week earlier and well ahead of the five-year average of 5 percent.

Soybean conditions are rated 60 percent good to excellent.

The corn harvest advanced 18 points to reach 30 percent harvested, compared with a 2 percent average. Corn conditions are rated 55 percent good to excellent.

But the drought and abnormally dry conditions that now cover 96 percent of the state continue to take a toll on range and pasture conditions, which are rated 55 percent poor to very poor.