ST. PAUL — Favorable weather has helped Minnesota farmers catch up from a late start to get 70 percent of their corn crop planted.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly crops and weather report for Minnesota says warm, dry weather gave farmers their best week for fieldwork yet this season. Statewide, an average of 5.1 days were suitable for fieldwork last week.

That let corn planting advance by 52 percentage points to 70 percent, though that’s still below the normal pace of 84 percent. Minnesota farmers try to get their corn planted by mid-May to ensure the best yields.

Soybeans were 23 percent planted, compared with 51 percent for the five-year average, but they don’t need to be planted as early as corn.

Sugarbeets are 89 percent planted, 5 points ahead of average.