Significant rainfall is needed across most of Saskatchewan’s cropland as seeding operations near completion.
Saskatchewan Agriculture reported Thursday in the crop report that topsoil conditions continue to deteriorate due to strong winds and a lack of moisture.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated 78 per cent short or very short and 22 per cent adequate.
Hay land and pasture topsoil are rated 82 per cent short or very short and 18 per cent adequate.
Growth is delayed in much of the province due to the lack of moisture, officials said, with crop conditions ranging from poor to good for those crops that have emerged.
Saskatchewan is experiencing one of its driest springs on record.
The Saskatoon and Moose Jaw areas had their driest spring ever recorded and the Canadian Drought Monitor reports that an extreme drought currently exists in those areas.
Swift Current, North Battleford, and Key Lake experienced their third driest springs. Regina posted its eighth driest spring with 34 per cent of its normal precipitation.
Saskatchewan Agriculture said seeding operations are essentially complete, with 99 per cent of the crop in the ground.
The five-year seeding average for this time of year is 93 per cent.
– With files from Ryan Kessler
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