The Saskatchewan harvest continues to trail the five- and 10-year averages, as hot weather, heavy thunderstorms, and pockets of hail shaped field conditions across the province last week. While some regions advanced combining, rainfall and humidity slowed operations elsewhere.
Thursday’s weekly crop report pegged the overall harvest in the province at 12% complete as of Monday. That is up from just 3% a week earlier but lags well behind last year and the five-year average of 25%, as well as the 10-year average of 21%.
The southwest leads provincial progress with 23% of crops harvested as of Monday, followed by the southeast at 14%. Central regions remain further behind, with the east-central at 11% and west-central at 6%. Harvest is just beginning in the north, where the northeast sits at 3% complete and the northwest at 2%t.
About 70% of winter wheat and 66% of fall rye are now in the bin, while 45% of peas and 35% of lentils have been combined. Harvest of spring cereals is gradually increasing, with barley at 17% complete, and durum at13%. The first acres of spring wheat, oats, and chickpeas are also starting to come off, though progress is limited. Canola was pegged at 1% harvested.
Dry conditions in much of the province this past week helped advance maturity, but thunderstorms delivered significant rain in some pockets. Nipawin recorded 42 mm, North Battleford 30 mm, and Consul 28 mm, among other notable showers. Despite scattered rainfall, provincial topsoil moisture levels dipped slightly. Cropland was rated 3% surplus, 77% adequate, 18% short, and 2% very short as of Monday, compared to 80% adequate, 10% short, 2% very short and 8% surplus.
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