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Warm November helps Saskatchewan farmers with harvest

A warm and relatively dry November has helped Saskatchewan farmers harvest most of the 2016 crop. Stephanie Andersen / Supplied

Unseasonably warm weather in November has helped Saskatchewan farmers get most of the crop in the bin.

According to Saskatchewan Agriculture, producers managed to harvest 95 per cent of the 2016 crop.

READ MORE: Warm weather helps farmers push through harvest after snow, rain delay

This is a marked change from the end of October, when only 82 per cent had been harvested due to wet conditions.

Typically, 99 per cent of the crop is in the bin by the end of October.

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A relatively dry November weather helped reduce moisture levels in some crops, however producers said most of what they are harvesting is tough and damp.

Aeration bins and grains dryers have been in constant use on many farms for over month to dry out crops.

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Yields have been reported to be well above average for most crops, but that varies across the province.

Hard red spring wheat yields are reported at 45 bushels per acre, durum at 48 bushels per acre, oats at 92 bushels per acre, barley at 69 bushels per acre, canola at 40 bushels per acre, peas at 42 bushels per and lentils at 1,098 pounds per acre.

READ MORE: Late harvest hampers Saskatchewan’s beer-worthy barley crop

Crop quality, however, is below average for almost all crops due to damage from insects, diseases, sprouting, staining and bleaching.

While harvest still continues in many parts of the province, some crops will remain in the field until spring.

The late harvest also impacted winter cereals, with farmers reporting they seeded slightly less than average this fall.

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