U.S. crops remain in good shape

Corn, soybeans, peanuts and cotton remain in fair to excellent shape as a midsummer heat wave makes its way across the continental United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday farmers growing corn, soybeans, peanuts, cotton, spring wheat, oats, sorghum, rice, and barley all report at least 90 percent of their crops are in fair to excellent shape. Less than 10 percent of the acreage is listed in either poor or very poor condition.

Rice fields, for example, are 5 percent in poor condition. None of the crop is reportedly in very poor condition. Fifty percent is listed as good with 23 percent in excellent shape and 22 percent in fair shape.

The weekly crop progress report said 46 percent of the cotton crop had set bolls, slightly slower than the crop's long-term average. Nine percent of the corn crop had reached the dough stage -- which designates a doughy condition of the crop's kernels -- which is slightly behind corn's five-year average for this time of year.