(Radio Iowa [w/additional info. from the Iowa Capital Dispatch]) – The U-S-D-A crop report is back after the government shutdown ended. The report shows 99 percent of Iowa’s corn crop is out of the fields making the harvest virtually complete. The southwest and south-central areas of Iowa lagged behind the rest of the state by a small percentage heading into last week. The bean harvest was at 99 percent complete in most of the state two weeks ago. The crop report says the weather has been mostly dry the last couple of weeks, allowing farmers to complete the harvest.

The national report shows the other top corn-producing states have on average just 4% left to harvest. The latest crop production report from USDA estimated corn yields were at 186 bushels per acre nationally, though the report does not include October yields due to the shutdown. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said farmers delivered a “significant crop” in 2025 despite “variable” weather conditions, disease and a challenging agricultural economy.  “Strong production requires strong markets, and we will continue working to build and diversify demand at home, across the country and around the world,” Naig said in a statement.

(Photo by Preston Keres/USDA)

According to the report, 67% of topsoil moisture and 66% of subsoil moisture across Iowa is adequate. South central Iowa has the driest soil conditions with about 60% of topsoil and subsoil short of moisture.  State Climatologist Justin Glisan said the statewide average precipitation for the Nov. 17 through Nov. 23 reporting period was 0.20 inch. That means precipitation was about half of the normal of 0.43 inch. Glisan said the statewide average temperature for the period at 43.8 degrees Fahrenheit was 6.1 degrees above the normal.