Harvest begins in parts of Saskatchewan

Harvest has just kicked off in some areas the province, particularly in the west central and southwest regions of Saskatchewan where crop development is most advanced.

According to the weekly Crop Report from the Ministry of Agriculture, the start of harvest is still at least a week away in the eastern regions, where many crops are behind in development.

Rain continue to create some issues and uncertainty for farmers, with the report noting that some areas got no rain at all over the past week, while other areas were hammered by localized storms that left behind flooding and damaged crops. The Unity area, for example, received 53 millimetres of rain between July 26 and Aug. 1.

Overall, topsoil moisture levels decreased slightly in the past week, with ratings sitting at four per cent surplus, 64 per cent adequate, 25 per cent short, and 13 per cent very short.

Pasture conditions, on the other hand, have improved “tremendously,” according to the Crop Report. Thanks to significant rain that let the land recover from last year’s drought, pasture conditions were rated at 16 per cent excellent, 41 per cent good, 25 per cent fair, 12 per cent poor, and six per cent very poor.

Minor flooding, disease, drought, wind, grasshoppers and hail all contributed to crop damage this week, with a few severe storms causing significant damage.

“Some crops were laid down and lodged by strong winds and heavy rains, while others were destroyed by hail,” the report read. “Hailstorms damaged crops from Marengo all the way to east of Lake Diefenbaker; buildings, machinery and vehicles were also damaged.”