(SPRINGFIELD) Warm and dry weather across much of the state created a wide-open harvest window for many farmers so far this harvest season. While no crop progress data from the USDA is available due to the government shutdown, it appears the fall harvest is moving quickly with low moisture field levels in the morning and at night. Trade analysts extimate the national harvest numbers at 39% for soybeans and 29% for corn as of Sunday, however the numbers seem to be much higher in Illinois, at 80 to 90% for soybeans and at nearly 50% for corn. On last week’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, 99% of Illinois was in some form of drought with 86% moderate and 42% severe. Nearly 1% advanced to the extreme drought designation, including parts of Moultrie, Coles, and Shelby Counties.
