CHICAGO, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. farmers slowed their pace of cutting corn and soybeans during the past week as they neared the completion of harvest, analysts said.
Rainy weather across much of the U.S. Midwest during the weekend also caused delays to the harvest, which had been progressing quickly throughout the fall.
Growers are expected to have harvested 80 percent of their corn crop and 71 percent of soybeans as of Oct. 14, according to the average of estimates in a Reuters poll of 14 analysts.
Widespread rainfall hit the region during the weekend, with as much as two to three inches falling in places. Drier weather was expected early in the week but there will not be enough time to dry out fields before more rain arrives in the second half of the week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will release its weekly update of harvest progress at 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT) on Monday.
A week ago, farmers had harvested 69 percent of their corn and 58 percent of soybeans.
"We have seen so much progress from the top states that the pace has to slow down because the big guys are done already," a trader said.
Before the recent slowdown, farmers had set a blistering pace, cutting 36 percent of their soybean crop and 30 percent of their corn crop during the previous two weeks.
Rainfall over the weekend and an outlook for more rain over the next week to 10-days will slow the final harvest of both corn and soybeans, said John Dee, meteorologist for Global Weather Monitoring.
"Harvest is winding down and the weather now is challenging," Dee said.
