Despite cool weather, "significant" progress has been made in seeding this summer's crop across the province.
In its weekly crop report, the Agriculture Ministry says 34 per cent of the crop has been seeded, well above the five-year (2010-14) average for this time of year of nine per cent.
As normal, seeding in the southwest is most advanced, with 61 per cent of the crop seeded. "In the southeast, 45 per cent is seeded; the westcentral region has 26 per cent seeded; the east-central region 16 per cent, the northeastern region 13 per cent and northwestern region has 31 per cent seeded," the ministry said Thursday.
Turning to topsoil moisture, the report said it's rated as 10 per cent surplus, 76 per cent adequate and 14 per cent short. Meanwhile, hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as six per cent surplus, 74 per cent adequate, 16 per cent short and four per cent very short.
"In parts of the southwestern and west-central regions, some moisture would be beneficial to get crops off to a good start," it added.
"Some areas in the southeast and in the east-central region, however, still have
surplus moisture."
As for the crops in those fields, Statistics Canada reported recently that Canadian farmers intend to plant more wheat, oats and barley in 2015 than in 2014, though canola and soybean acreage should decrease slightly.
Nationally, farmers said they expect to plant 24.8 million acres in 2015, an increase of 3.9 per cent over 2014. Broken down by crop, plans for spring wheat indicate a 3.4 per cent gain (to 18.0 million acres), while durum wheat acreage is expected to reach 5.5 million acres, up 15.8 per cent from 2014.
But in Saskatchewan, things are di f ferent. StatsCan - which compiled this outlook through interviews with about 9,000 farmers two months ago - says respondents here suggest spring wheat acreage will fall 4.8 per cent from 2014 to 8.1 million acres in 2015. Durum wheat acreage is expected to rise 15.5 per cent to 4.9 million acres.
Saskatchewan farmers will be closer to national trends in canola, the federal statistical agency said.
Source : LeaderPost