Producers ahead of the five and 10-year averages
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
Farmers in Saskatchewan are now more than halfway through their 2017 harvest, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s latest Weekly Crop Report.
Producers have harvested 65 per cent of the province’s total crop, according to the report. That number is up from 45 per cent last week.
In fact, that number is ahead of the five and 10-year averages of 40 per cent.
And Mother Nature, as usual, played a pivotal role in farmers’ ability to get a large amount of crop harvested.
“The majority of the province received no rainfall last week…,” the report says.
On a regional basis, farmers in the southwestern part of the province have completed 86 per cent of the harvest, which is the highest percentage of any region.
Next is the southeastern region (76 per cent harvested), the west-central region (66 per cent harvested) and the east-central region (57 per cent harvested).
Farmers in the northeastern region have completed 37 per cent of their harvest. Producers in the northwestern region have completed 35 per cent of their harvest, which is the lowest percentage of all the regions.
But the dry weather is also creating challenges as farmers continue to combine their crops.
The agricultural community has reported combine and grass fires. And some producers may have to change their fall planting plans as a result of the weather, too.
“With the dry field conditions, many producers have indicated that winter cereals may not be seeded this fall,” the report says.
Saskatchewan crop harvest levels
| Crop | Per cent combined as of Sept. 11 |
| Winter wheat | 99 |
| Fall rye | 98 |
| Spring wheat | 63 |
| Durum | 81 |
| Oats | 48 |
| Barley | 71 |
| Canaryseed | 49 |
| Flax | 20 |
| Canola | 50 |
| Mustard | 82 |
| Soybeans | 10 |
| Lentils | 98 |
| Peas | 95 |
| Chickpeas | 74 |