Planting Woes Continue For Farmers Amid Wet Minnesota Spring

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota farmers are still having trouble getting their crops into the ground as an unusually wet spring persists.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in its weekly crop progress and condition report for Minnesota Tuesday that a third of the state's corn crop has yet to be planted. That puts Minnesota farmers eight days behind last year's pace and 13 days behind the five-year average.

And only 35 percent of the state's soybean crop has been planted, eight days behind last year and a full two weeks behind the five-year average.

Because of the wet weather, only two days were suitable for fieldwork last week. And much of southern Minnesota got 1-2 inches of rain Monday. That has some farmers considering whether they should take "prevented planting" insurance coverage instead.

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