Harvest starts in Saskatchewan despite dry weather

Harvest is underway for producers in the south, although much of Saskatchewan has received little to no rain this past week.

Less than one per cent of the provincial crop has been combined, while slightly more than one per cent is ready to straight-cut.

READ MORE: Extreme weather causing extreme stress for farmers

Among those with combines in the field are the Arm River Hutterite Colony. Landon Hofer said that they could have used much more rain, but overall their crop is doing OK.

“The quality is pretty decent. The bushelling is there. We’re doing some peas right now, and they’re running 40 to 50 bushels per acre,” Hofer said.

Along with the peas, the colony’s barley and wheat crop are both in good shape.

Many pulse crops, like lentils, in southern and central areas are being desiccated and yields are being reported from average to well below average.

Duke Gooding farms near Gray, Sask. He plans to start harvesting his lentils next week.

“We’ve heard quality coming off around Wilcox is good. Lentils are a dry weather plant. They like drier conditions than wetter, but this is extreme,” he said.

Gooding’s crop still has defined rows. At this point in the year lentils should be much fuller, and deep ground cracks run through the field.

However, many of the seeds are twins and that gives him hope for harvest.

Many areas throughout the province are very dry and need significant rain to fill crops and replenish topsoil moisture, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report.

In the southern parts of the province, crops are rapidly drying down and any rainfall now will come too late to be of benefit.

Last year’s rainfall and snow did create ground moisture reserves. Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said this season’s crop would have been in far worse shape without these reserves.

“If it weren’t for that we would have had a real wreck on our hands, so we’re lucky that way at least,” he said.

Overall, crops are ripening quickly, but range from poor to good condition. Forty seven per cent of fall rye, six per cent of winter wheat, two per cent of lentils and one per cent of field peas are now in the bin.

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The lack of rain and high temperatures have worsened topsoil moisture conditions.

In most of the south along the U.S. and Alberta borders, 100 per cent of cropland, hay land and pasture is short to very short for topsoil moisture.

Across the province, topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as one per cent surplus, 29 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 29 per cent very short.

Haying is wrapping up for many livestock producers and yields remain significantly lower than normal.

Farm Stress Line

The Agriculture Ministry also made note of a sharp increase in July calls to the Farm Stress Line. Last year only 16 calls were made to the helpline in July. This July 59 calls were made.

“Producers in the hardest hit area are concerned. They’re seeing a crop they put a lot of money into, and got off to a good start, deteriorate pretty rapidly throughout July,” Stewart said.

Last year’s high month were the 40 calls made in September during the middle of harvest.

“We’ve been putting the word out to producers to please, if you’re not feeling good about things, to call the stress line,” Stewart said.

“More than anything it’s an avenue to more help if that’s needed.”

The Farm Stress Line is open 24 hours a day, and can be reached at 1-800-667-4442.