Eleven per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from six per cent last week and remains well behind the five-year (2014-2018) average of 28 per cent for this time of year. Frequent rainfall and cool weather continues to delay harvest progress for many producers in the province, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report.
Sixteen per cent of the crop is now swathed or ready to straight-cut. A good stretch of warm and dry weather would be welcomed to allow for producers to return to the field.
Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 20 per cent of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 16 per cent combined, the west-central region seven per cent and the northwest six per cent. The northeast region has four per cent combined while the east-central region has three per cent combined.
Seventy-five per cent of fall rye, 64 per cent of winter wheat, 47 per cent of field peas, 39 per cent of lentils, 12 per cent of barley, five per cent of durum, four per cent of spring wheat and one per cent of canola is now in the bin. An additional 19 per cent of canola is swathed or is ready to straight-cut.
The majority of the province received rainfall last week, ranging from trace amounts to 45 mm in the Lampman area. Across the province, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as eight per cent surplus, 81 per cent adequate, 10 per cent short and one per cent very short.
Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 15 per cent short and five per cent very short.
Most crop damage this week was due to localized flooding, strong winds, light frost and hail. There have been some reports of crops bleaching and sprouting in areas with excess moisture.
Farmers are busy swathing, combining and cutting and baling greenfeed.
