By Bruce Cochrane
Saskatchewan Agriculture reports the progress of the 2016 harvest across the province for all crops is running right on par with the five year average.
Saskatchewan Agriculture released its crop report yesterday for the period from August 9th to August 15th.
Daphne Cruise, a Cropping Management Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture reports, across the province and across all crops, three percent of the 2016 crop is now in the bin, right on par with the five year average from 2011 to 2015.
Daphne Cruise-Saskatchewan Agriculture:
When we're looking at how much crop is swathed or ready to straight combine, seven percent of the crop is swathed or ready to straight cut.
Basically farmers were able to continue or at least start harvest on the weekend when we finally had a break in rain showers over the weekend which allowed producers to get into the field.
Of course harvest progress always varies across the province.
Usually we start in the south and move toward the north as the harvest season progresses.
The southeast right now is leading the province with eight percent combined throughout all crops and, in some cases, when we get close to the American border, around Frobisher, Carnduff area, Radville, Ceylon, they're even further ahead, in some cases have 17 percent of the crop in the bin already.
When we look across all crops, 62 percent of the winter wheat, 15 percent of the peas, 5 percent of the lentils and 4 percent of the barley and mustard have been combined at this time and 9 percent of the canola and mustard have been swathed.
As far as the other parts of the province goes, it ranges.
Some of the north areas are just starting to get going but it sounds like all areas of the province do have some crop in the bin and most of that is winter wheat or peas at this time.
Cruise says most producers are indicating yields will be above the five to ten year average, with the exception being lentils and in some cases chickpeas.
She says about a quarter of the province is dealing with surplus moisture, in many cases, these heavy downpours have resulted in lodging, while 74 percent has adequate moisture and 2 percent is short of moisture.
Source: Farmscape