ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Lingering winter weather is giving Minnesota and North Dakota farmers a slow start to planting what could be one the most profitable corn crops in recent years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA reported Monday that corn farmers in Minnesota had planted 1 percent of the crop by Sunday, but typically have 27 percent planted by now. North Dakota farmers had planted 3 percent of the corn crop, compared to the average of 15 percent.

"All bets are off," said Brian Buhr, an agricultural economist at the University of Minnesota.

Corn prices have been soaring due to heavy demand in the United States to make ethanol while the growing economies of the developing world are buying more of it for animal feed and other uses.

The supply problem has been the winter weather. An Alexandria-area farmer reported on Monday that his fields were buried under a foot of snow on Saturday. Forecasters said more snow was possible this weekend. Parts of southeastern North Dakota got up to 1½ feet of snow from the storm.

Minnesota is not the only state suffering. The USDA said Iowa has just 3 percent of its corn planted versus its typical 33 percent, Illinois is at 6 percent compared with 55 percent in a normal year and Indiana, is at 11 percent versus 30 percent.

In Minnesota, the problem isn't just corn.

The USDA said the state's oat farmers usually have 49 percent of their crop planted by April 27, but as of Sunday just 9 percent of the crop was in the ground. It said land prepared for soybeans was 1 percent complete compared to a 10 percent five-year average.

In North Dakota, planting progress was behind the average for canola, corn, flaxseed, potatoes, soybeans and sugar beets. Planting was above average for spring wheat, durum and dry edible beans.

On a normal year, there would be squads of sugar beet farmers working their fields in the Red River Valley. They would usually have 50 percent to 75 percent of their crop planted by now, but the planting now stands at about 5 percent.

On the North Dakota side of the Red River, about 11 percent of the sugar beet crop was in, compared with the average of 38 percent.

"It's an uphill battle for us at this point to get our acres in," said Jeff Schweitzer, spokesman for American Crystal Sugar Company in Moorhead.

He said the sugar beet growers intent to plant 414,000 acres this year, but just 20,000 are done. Schweitzer said Monday there was snow on the ground near his office in Moorhead. On Friday, the area was hit with 5 to 8 inches of snow.

"It was so depressing," said Schweitzer.