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N.D. (AP) – Drier and warmer conditions over the past week have enabled North Dakota farmers to make significant progress on the harvest.

The Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop report that temperatures averaged about a dozen degrees above normal, and the week was dry with the exception of limited rainfall in some areas on Sunday.

The harvest of small grains crops is still behind the average pace, however. About 91 percent of the state’s staple spring wheat crop is in the bin, compared with the average of 96 percent.

About 9 percent of the sugar beet crop has been harvested, behind the average of 15 percent.

About three-fourths of the winter wheat crop has been planted.