Iowa farmers work hard to overcome slow start to planting

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said Iowa farmers have been working hard to overcome the slow start to the crop planting season.

Naig was in Hampton last Thursday, as part of his 99-county Iowa tour.

“Summer is a good time to travel. I also enjoy getting to visit county fairs and to discuss agricultural issues,” he said. The problems for getting land ready for planting date back for a number of months, according to Naig.

“Because of the wet and cold weather, a lot of the fall field work didn’t get done. The last 12 months have been the wettest on record, which slowed the planting and created headaches for those traveling on gravel roads,” he said.

According to the most recent reports, corn in the state is 98 percent planted, while soybeans are at 89 percent.

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