Crop report shows harvest progressing well, but still behind five-year average

Harvest is almost a quarter complete in Saskatchewan, but it’s not going as quickly as previous years.

That’s according to the provincial crop report from the Ministry of Agriculture. According to the latest report, which covers the week from Aug. 23 to this past Sunday, harvest is 23 per cent complete in Saskatchewan, up 16 per cent from the week before but slightly behind the five-year average for this time of year of 26 per cent.

Some of the delays were due to rain, the report noted. While the rain was not heavy in the southwest and west-central regions, other parts of the province got enough moisture to lodge crops and slow down harvest. The Lake Lenore area got the most rain, with 92 millimetres, the report noted.

“Rain will further delay crop maturity in areas where the crop is still very green,” the report read. “Producers in the driest areas of the province welcome the moisture, even if it means they must halt their harvest activities for a short period.”

Soil moisture in cropland is rated as two per cent surplus, 55 per cent adequate, 15 per cent short, and 18 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land was drier over the past week, with moisture rated as two per cent surplus, 50 per cent adequate, 28 per cent short, and 20 per cent very short.

The southwest is making the most progress on harvest, with 67 per cent of the crop combined. The west-central region is 36 per cent complete, and the southeast has completed 16 per cent of the harvest. Nine per cent of the crop has been combined in the east-central region, six per cent in the northwest, and four per cent in the northeast.

The lentil crop is furthest along, with 74 per cent combined. Sixty-six per cent of field pea and winter wheat crops have been harvested, along with 51 per cent of the durum, 46 per cent of the mustard, 16 per cent of the spring wheat and eight per cent of the canola.

Twenty-one per cent of the canola and 13 per cent of the mustard crops are swathed or ready to straight-cut, the report noted.

Aside from the rain, other crop damage this week was due to minor hail, strong winds and insects, according to the crop report.

“There have been multiple reports of grain samples being denied at the elevator due to samples containing grasshoppers,” the report noted. “Producers will have to clean their grain thoroughly before taking it to the elevator to sell.”