The owner of Marc Hutlet Seeds at Ste. Anne says farmers here in the southeast have received some welcome rains this week. Marc Hutlet says reports range from 25-50 millimetres or one to two inches. He adds this will really help the crops.

"We've got good stands of corn coming. They are, in some cases, uneven because a lot of the ground had to be worked this spring but a lot of the corn is in the V2-V3 stage and this rain will really boost it. Soybeans are, by and large, in

pretty good shape. I think, overall, we've got some satisfactory plant stands that are average to above average which will give us good yield potential."

Hutlet says while there was some uneven germination due to dry conditions, this rain came in time for crops to even out.

"I don't think the disparity was as big as last year so I think so. We have potential for that higher end yield on a lot of our fields with the stands we have and I think everybody has to be very happy with that considering the shape that some of the fields were in going into spring."

Hutlet says the rain was also very beneficial for alfalfa producers who had to re-seed crops this year due to extensive winter kill.