Seeding of 2015 Saskatchewan crop over a third done

REGINA – Saskatchewan farmers have made significant progress over the past week with seeding. The crop report out Thursday says 34 per cent of the 2015 crop has now been seeded.

The five-year average for this time of year is nine per cent. Last year at this time, seven per cent of the crop was in the ground.

Producers in the southwest part of the province are furthest ahead with 61 per cent of the seeding completed. In the southeast, 45 per cent of the crop has been seeded, with west-central at 26 per cent, east-central at 16 per cent, northeast at 13 per cent and the northwest region at 31 per cent.

What’s needed now is cooperation from the weather.

Cool weather has resulted in the slow emergence of crops and some farmers have reported frost damage to emerged crops and alfalfa.

Topsoil moisture is rated at 74 per cent adequate. The report stated moisture in some parts of the southwestern and west-centrals regions would benefit from some moisture while areas in the southeast and east-central still have a surplus of moisture.