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First cutting of hay 57% complete in Missouri

A break in rain events is helping some Missouri farmers advance hay harvest.

Tony Hancock is with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “The hay equipment has come out in full bore,” he says.  “Everybody’s just running hard now because we are slightly behind. It’s not a huge number, but we are slightly behind.”

According to the USDA, 87 percent of pastures are rated good to excellent. The first cutting of hay is 57 percent complete, and the first cutting of alfalfa hay is 87 percent complete.

He tells Brownfield that yields will not be an issue.  “We’re going to have tremendous yields,” he says. “That being said, quality probably will not be the highest just because that grass has grown so much. Some of it has got very mature, but there is some decent undergrowth coming back on the grass.”

Five percent of the state’s corn crop is silking, with 73 percent of the crop rated good to excellent.  Soybeans are 89 percent planted, 82 percent emerged, and 69 percent rated good to excellent.  Fifty-five percent of the state’s cotton crop is rated good to excellent.