By Katie Knapp Schubert
Omaha, NE – More than half of Nebraska's corn fields could be planted by the end of this week.
The USDA says only about 15 percent of the state's corn crop was planted as of Monday. Nebraska Corn Board executive director Don Hutchens says rain and cool weather prevented corn producers from getting fields planted. He says Nebraska corn farmers invest $2.6 billion dollars in seed, fuel, fertilizer, and chemicals to get the corn crop planted.
Hutchens says 26 to 30 percent of Nebraska's corn crop is used to produce ethanol. Seven to nine percent of it is exported to international markets.
Nebraska farmers produced 1.5 billion bushels of corn in 2010. This year, an estimated 9.5 million acres of corn will be planted.