It took until the fourth week of September to get a lengthy stretch of good harvesting weather—and it shows in the latest Saskatchewan Agriculture Crop report released on Thursday morning.
The provincial harvest stands at an estimated 63 per cent complete as of Monday—up 22 per cent from the previous week, which is still well behind the five-year of average of 91 per cent and the ten-year average of 82 per cent.
The southwest has 84 per cent combined, followed by west-central at 69 per cent and the southeast at 57 per cent. The other three regions are bunched near the halfway point with the northwest at 53 per cent, east-central 52 per cent and northeast 49 per cent combined.
Breaking it down by crop: peas are 97 per cent combined, lentils 96 per cent, barley and durum 79 per cent, spring wheat 65 per cent, oats 56 per cent, canola 45 per cent and flax 24 percent.
Rainfall was limited last week, with only a few showers in the southeast corner. Provincial cropland topsoil moisture is 13 per cent surplus, 81 per cent adequate, and 6 per cent short.
Most of the crop damage this week was caused by high winds. Some producers reported winds strong enough to blow swaths away. The other minor reports of crop damage were caused by some localized flooding, frost, waterfowl and wildlife.
Livestock water availability remains favourable across Saskatchewan, with 93 per cent of producers reporting no current or expected shortages. Six per cent reported moderate shortages and one per cent anticipated future shortages. Concerns regarding water quality were limited, with eight per cent of respondents citing issues, primarily due to algae in some water sources. Producers also reported that adequate rainfall has supported water supplies by keeping dugouts full.
While the Saskatchewan harvest is estimated at 63 per cent, the latest crop report in Manitoba puts that province at 51 per cent. Eastern and southern portions of Manitoba are well advanced compared to western areas. Overall, an estimated 57 per cent of canola is off with yields said to be average to below average. The cereal crops are between 70-75 per cent harvested in Manitoba.
