Saskatchewan harvest ahead of five-year average

Saskatchewan’s harvest is well ahead of those of previous years.

In the weekly crop report issued Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture said 43 per cent of the 2020 crop is in the bin. The average for this time of year over the past five years was 35 per cent.

An additional 29 per cent of this year’s crop has been swathed or is ready to straight-cut.

Producers in the southwest region have combined 71 per cent of their crops, well ahead of farmers in the southeast (59 per cent), west-central (38 per cent), east-central (29 per cent), northeast (17 per cent) and northwest (seven per cent) regions.

So far, 91 per cent of lentils, 87 per cent of field peas, 73 per cent of mustard, 58 per cent of barley, 62 per cent of durum, 39 per cent of chickpeas, 32 per cent of spring wheat and 23 per cent of canola have been combined. Another 49 per cent of canola has been swathed or is ready to straight-cut.

The ministry said the estimated average crop yields at this time are 45 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 38 bushels per acre for durum, 67 bushels per acre for barley, 35 bushels per acre for canola, 39 bushels per acre for field peas and 1,548 pounds per acre for lentils

Some farmers are reporting the record heat received in recent weeks in some areas of the province caused more crop damage than was first anticipated.

Some crops were damaged this past week by strong winds, lack of moisture and frost.

“Most of the province received a hard frost earlier this week that caused damage to later-seeded and immature crops,” the crop report said. “Producers are assessing the damage to determine the potential impact.”