By Chris Taylor
Murray, KY – Area farmers would like it to stop raining. Even though this year's frequent rainfall has created an abundance of corn and soybeans, it keeps raining, and the added moisture is delaying harvest. Statewide, about half of Kentucky's corn crops and only 18% of its soybeans have been harvested. These figures are well behind the five-year average. The reason: crops are retaining too much water. Farmers ideally harvest corn when its moisture content is around 15%, but crops are currently retaining as much as a quarter of their weight. If farmers choose to harvest anyway, they face drying fees at the grain elevator. The Paducah Sun reports the later harvest is delaying planting winter wheat, which usually results in lower yields.