The Saskatchewan harvest has pushed to around three-quarters complete, despite some weather-related delays this past week.
Thursday’s weekly crop report pegged the overall provincial harvest at 74% done as of Monday, up 13 points from the previous week. That is well ahead of the five- and 10-year averages of 63% and 58% complete, respectively, but still behind 82% last year.
Many areas of the province received rainfall this past week which caused producers to “briefly pause harvest.,” the report said.
The Indian Head area received the most rainfall this past week with 49 mm. The Marsden and Milden areas closely followed with 48 mm and 42 mm of precipitation, respectively. Other areas to receive notable rainfall include the Lizard Lake area with 41 mm and the Francis and North Battleford areas with 39 mm each.
Despite slowing fieldwork, the precipitation was welcomed by producers amid overly dry soil conditions in many locations.
The harvest is nearly wrapped up in the province’s Southwest Region, where an estimated 95% of crops were in the bin as of Monday. The Southeast Region was next with the harvest at 77% complete, followed by the East-Central, West-Central, and Northwest regions, all at 63% done. The Northeast harvest reached 58% complete as of Monday.
The winter wheat, triticale and field pea crop harvest is now complete, with lentils and fall rye very close to finishing up. Leading all spring-seeded cereals, durum was 93% harvested as of Monday, followed by barley at 88%, spring wheat at 81%, oats at 73% and canary seed at 49%. For oilseed crops, mustard leads harvest progress at 90%. Many producers are currently working to get canola crops harvested, with 47% in the bin. Flax and soybeans are the furthest behind in harvest progress, at 33% and 25%.
Topsoil moisture conditions for cropland were rated 1% surplus, 41% adequate, 37% short, and 21% very short as of Monday, an improvement from 1% surplus, 33% adequate, 43% short, and 23% very short the previous week.
Wind and waterfowl were the main causes of crop damage this past week. Grasshopper activity remains high in some areas, continuing to damage crops.
Southeast:
Harvest is now 77 per cent complete in the southeast, which is up 12 per cent from last week. This is a lower increase than the last reporting period, which is due to scattered rainfall in the region causing harvest delays. This is still greater than the five-year average of 66 per cent and 10-year average of 67 per cent.
There was a significant amount of rainfall in certain areas during this reporting period. The Indian Head area received the most rainfall in the province with 49 mm. The Francis area got 39 mm of rain, while the Trossachs and Avonlea areas each received 28 mm.
The rainfall improved topsoil moisture conditions which were drying out prior to the rain. Cropland topsoil moisture is now 61 per cent adequate, 29 per cent short and 10 per cent very short.
Southwest:
Harvest is nearly complete in southwest Saskatchewan as 95 per cent of crops have been taken off, which continues to lead the province in harvest progress. Producers are significantly ahead of the five-year average of 77 per cent and the 10-year average of 73 per cent for harvest progress.
Some areas in the southwest received rain during this reporting period. The most rainfall seen in the southwest was around Richmound, which got 26 mm of precipitation, followed by areas around Dollard and Leader that received 15 mm.
The rain did not significantly impact topsoil moisture and conditions remain dry in the southwest. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated nine per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and 60 per cent very short.
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