Agribusiness Today: Planting continues around Illinois

(WAND) - Planting continues around Illinois with help from still more clear and dry days.

According to USDA data, 40 percent of the state's corn was planted by April 30.

That is up from 18 percent on April 18 and above the 5-year average of 29 percent.

Likewise, 39 percent of soybeans were in the ground by April 30, up from 15 percent on April 18 and the average of 15 percent.

At the start of May, Agribusiness Today checked in on conditions in Moultrie County.

Moultrie County farmer Lucas Roney said, "It's been kind of a strange spring to be honest with you. It's really dry, and the soil conditions have been great. We've been able to work the ground. We've been planting since April 12, I think we started. I haven't really gotten in a hurry. Usually, we're in a hurry to get the crop planted as soon as it's fit to go. But it was just a little bit cool. So, we planted a little bit. It was warm when we started planting, but we saw the forecast where it was going to turn cool. So, we put a little bit in the ground, and we waited a little bit, and we planted a little bit more. Just a little bit at a time. We've only got about another day and a half, and we'll be done planting corn."