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Crops vary as MO drought expands

Mid-Missouri farmers say crops are variable as the drought continues.

In Audrain County, Jay Schutte tells Brownfield he thinks the 1 inch of rain from the weekend will be helpful to the corn and soybeans on his farm.

“I’ve been kind of lucky and so far, we’ve had pretty moderate temperatures. The corn is up around the V5 to V7 growth stage and I’m hoping with the weekend rains it will be exploding.”

But not far away in Callaway County, farmers didn’t get as much rain. Jay Fischer says the farm only got a tenth of an inch and the corn is starting to suffer.

“We started planting corn on the first week of April and the early corn is at the point now if it doesn’t get rain, the yield will be drastically reduced.”

Fischer says he’s optimistic time will bring more rain to help the soybeans.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says 90% of Missouri is dry, 28% of the state is in severe drought and 8% of the state is in extreme drought.