Dry weather helps Minn. farmers harvest grains

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Dry weather is helping Minnesota farmers with the small grain harvest, but it's also hurting crop conditions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that Minnesota's spring wheat harvest has reached 65 percent complete. That's nearly up to the normal harvesting pace of 66 percent.

The oat harvest is now 80 percent complete, slightly behind normal.

But crop conditions continue to decline as dry weather persists. An average of only 0.31 inch of rain fell last week, 0.50 inch below normal. But there was marginal improvement in the condition of sunflowers.

Soybean conditions declined slightly to 54 percent good or excellent.

Warmer-than-normal temperatures and continued sunny days combined for 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels continued to decline.