Warm and relatively dry weather has allowed producers to make good progress on harvest. Twenty-nine per cent of the crop is now combined and an additional 30 per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut. The five-year (2010-2014) average for this time of year is 14 per cent combined and 26 per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut.
Regionally, producers in the southwest are furthest advanced, having 51 per cent of the crop combined. Producers in the southeast have 45 per cent of the crop combined. Twenty per cent of the crop is combined in the west-central region; 13 per cent in the northwest; 11 per cent in the east-central region; and 10 per cent in the northeast.
Rainfall this past week ranged from nil to 22 mm in some southeastern areas. Provincially, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as three per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 17 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture conditions are rated as one per cent surplus, 67 per cent adequate, 27 per cent short and five per cent very short.
Pasture conditions across the province are rated as four per cent excellent, 43 per cent good, 36 per cent fair, 14 per cent poor and three per cent very poor. At this time, crop reporters are indicating that 11 per cent of the forage crops did not get cut or baled, mainly due to lack of growth.
The Ministry of Agriculture has a Forage, Feed and Custom Service listing for producers to advertise and source feed products. It is available at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/FeedForageListing.
Localized hail and wind has damaged some crops and there are reports of bleaching, staining or sprouting of cereal and pulse crops in some areas.
Crop reporters are indicating that yields and grades are average overall. Some winter cereals are being seeded as time allows.
