Sporadic showers brought much needed moisture and, in some cases, hail to certain areas of the province, while cooler weather brought relief to crops still in flower. Producers are hoping for more moisture to help with head and pod filling, but for many advanced crops, additional moisture will have little impact on yield at this stage. In some areas, a second cut of hay is unlikely due to the lack of moisture and crops are being cut for feed where shortages are anticipated.
Rain fell in a few areas of the province this past week, but many regions received only trace amounts or no rain at all. The Richmound area reported the most rain this week with 62 millimetres (mm), followed by the Meadow Lake and Alida areas with 47 and 46 mm respectively. Forty-one mm of rain fell in the Carnduff area and 38 mm was recorded in the Oxbow area.
Variable rainfall across the province was not enough to maintain topsoil moisture in many areas this week. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 65 per cent adequate, 28 per cent short and seven per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture is rated as 55 per cent adequate, 36 per cent short and nine per cent very short. Lastly, pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 55 per cent adequate, 32 per cent short and 13 per cent very short. Livestock producers would like to see rain soon to ensure their pastures can support their livestock through the end of the growing season.
Most crops are rated as being in fair to good condition with a small number being rated as excellent and a few as poor. Most crops are showing a slight improvement in condition since the last report. The lowest-rated crops are occurring in the southwest, northwest and parts of the northeast, where conditions are driest.
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