GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) — A stretch of dry fall weather that one farm economist calls “perfect” is helping Indiana farmers harvest their crops early following a summer of heavy rains that cut yields across many parts of the state.

Purdue University agricultural economist Chris Hurt says Indiana farmers had harvested about twothirds of the state’s soybean crop and about half of its corn crop by last week.

He estimates the summer’s torrential rains inflicted about $200 million in crop losses in Indiana. But Hurt says the fall harvest that followed those deluges has been nearly ideal, with “perfect weather” for farmers eager to put the rainy growing season behind them.

Decatur County farmer Harold Wilson tells the Greensburg Daily News his southeastern Indiana farm has seen “wonderful weather” during the fall harvest.