Saskatchewan farmers find dry conditions as seeding of 2021 crop begins

The moisture level in the topsoil is below normal in most parts of the province as many Saskatchewan farmers began seeding last week.

About nine per cent of the crop has been seeded, which the weekly crop report for Saskatchewan says is ahead of the five-year average of six per cent for this time of the year.

Warmer daily temperatures recently have had farmers out in the field after an abnormally cool spring delayed them in many areas of the province.

The southwest is ahead of the rest of the province with 19 per cent of the crop seeded there. In the southeast, farmers are at 11 per cent. In west-central, they are at 11 per cent.

In east-central, where they got some snow and rain to help with dry fields and pastures, they are at five per cent seeded as is the northwest.

In the northeast, where they had the most rain in the province this week, they are at two per cent seeded. In the area of Porcupine Plain, they got 22 millimetres of rain.

Many areas of the province got rain last week, but it wasn’t enough. Topsoil moisture is rated at one per cent surplus, 41 per cent adequate, 44 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil is rated at zero per cent surplus, 27 per cent adequate, 48 per cent short and 25 per cent very short.