Corn, sorghum and rice planting are nearly complete and cotton planting has hit the halfway mark in Arkansas, according to Monday’s crop progress report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Cotton was 50 percent planted, up from 20 percent the previous week and well above the 15 percent five-year average. Last year, only 6 percent of the crop was planted on April 29.

“We’d be 80 percent planted if we had enough moisture,” said Tom Barber, Extension cotton agronomist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “We ran out of moisture and a lot of people stopped planting.

“We need a little rain. That’ll help us out.”

Among the other crops:

Pastures are 52 percent good, 34 percent fair and 6 percent excellent. Hay is 53 percent good, 38 percent fair and 3 percent excellent. Some Arkansas growers are baling their first cutting.

To learn more about crop production contact your county Extension office, or visit www.uaex.edu or Arkansas-crops.com.