USDA: State Benefited from Last Week's Rainfall

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says much of South Dakota's rangeland, pastureland and emerging crops benefited from last week's rainfall, but the moisture slowed planting progress in eastern locations.

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service says topsoil moisture supplies are rated 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.

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Winter wheat is 23 percent jointed but well ahead of last year's pace and the five-year average. The crop is rated 1 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 65 percent good and 6 percent excellent.

The corn crop is 6 percent planted, and 72 percent of the spring wheat crop is in the ground.

Cattle and calf conditions are rated 14 percent fair, 79 percent good and 7 percent excellent, and calving is 77 percent complete