Western Corn Belt planting moves ahead, but drought fears linger
Farmers in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota are making swift progress on planting after a cold April forced them to adjust their early planting plans.
Written By: Michelle Rook
|
5:31 am, May 10, 2021
After cold temperatures in April squashed hopes for an early planting season, farmers are making up for lost ground in the western Corn Belt.
In northeast Nebraska, Belden farmer Jim Miller said they waited to plant until recently because the soil temperatures never warmed above 50 degrees, with some overnight lows in the mid-20s.
“I just couldn't get excited about putting seed in the ground as expensive as seed is these days and as high as our input costs are why we decided to hold off,” he said.