USDA: Progress made in harvest of cotton, other crops in Louisiana, Mississippi

Farmers make progress in delayed harvest

NEW ORLEANS — Farmers took advantage of the drier weather to make headway on their rain-delayed fall harvest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says cotton farmers in Louisiana and Mississippi had completed at least 85 percent of their harvest by Sunday. On average, the harvest is nearly completed by this time of year.

Rice farmers in Louisiana completed their harvest — 99 percent of Mississippi’s rice was in — and winter wheat planting continued but remained well off the five-year average.

Wet weather in September and October delayed harvest and deteriorated the condition of cotton, soybeans and other crops.

USDA rated 91 percent of Louisiana and 99 percent of Mississippi with adequate or surplus soil moisture last week.