42% of Saskatchewan’s crops have been harvested, report says

The crop report for the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 shows that 42 per cent of Saskatchewan’s crops have been harvested, which is up 23 per cent since last week and 40 per cent ahead of the five-year average.

According to the report, last week’s conditions allowed producers from all over the province to make great progress with their harvest operations. It also states that an additional 20 per cent of the crop is ready to swath or straight-cut and that crops that were not ready for harvest have quickly ripened after a stretch of warm and dry days.

“The southwest region continues to lead harvest operations with 83 per cent of the crop now combined,” the crop report said.

“The west-central has 61 per cent of their crop harvested, the southeast 33 per cent, the northwest 28 per cent, the east-central 27 per cent and the northeast 21 per cent.”

Producers have harvested 96 per cent of winter wheat, 84 per cent of fall rye, 91 per cent of lentils and field peas, 70 per cent of durum, 52 per cent of barley, 40 per cent of spring wheat and 22 per cent of the canola crop has been combined.

“The current estimated averages of crop yields are 43 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 30 bushels per acre for durum, 34 bushels per acre for canola, 34 bushels per acre for field peas and 1,174 pounds per acre for lentils,” the report said.

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“Crop yields in the southwest and west-central regions have been greatly affected by the extremely hot and dry conditions experienced during critical growing stages this season; yields are significantly lower in these areas than the provincial averages.”

The combined harvest was possible with as very little rain fell across the province over the past week, allowing crops to ripen, the report said. The cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 42 per cent adequate, 34 per cent short and 23 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 35 per cent adequate, 39 per cent short and 25 per cent very short.

Yet wind and grasshoppers contributed to crop damage this past week. The report said strong winds blew swaths around fields and will result in yield loss and a difficult harvest for affected producers.

“Strong winds are likely to shell out very ripe crops leading to crop yield reductions as well,” the report said.

“Grasshoppers will continue to be a significant problem until conditions are less favourable for them. Producers have noticed a slight increase of ergot fungus in their cereal fields this year, likely due to the increase in precipitation received during the crop flowering stage.”

Crop producers continue to combine, swathe, desiccate, bale straw and haul bales while livestock producers are busy moving cattle, hauling water and taking inventory of their winter feed supplies.

3:32 Canola crops in Saskatchewan suffering from heat and dry conditions