Harvest reaches 17 per cent as rain keeps fields wet

Harvest advanced in west-central Saskatchewan despite more rain, and farmers in parts of the region are reporting above-average yields.

Producers had combined 17 per cent of their fields by Aug. 31, up from eight per cent a week earlier. That still trails the five-year average of 40 per cent and the 10-year average of 33 per cent, the provincial Agriculture Department said in its weekly crop report.

West-central farmers had taken off 60 per cent of their lentils, 59 per cent of their peas, 40 per cent of their barley, 38 per cent of their oats and six per cent of their spring wheat.

Flooding and wind caused most of the crop damage that week. Excess moisture and saturated fields also delayed field work, the report said.

The RM of Fertile Valley received 30 millimetres of rain. Milden got 28, Biggar 26, St. Andrews and Harris 25 and Pleasant Valley 17.

The rain raised cropland topsoil moisture to three per cent surplus, 79 per cent adequate, 17 per cent short and one per cent very short. Hay and pasture land sat at one per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 20 per cent short and one per cent very short.

Provincewide, farmers are estimating 57 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 46 for durum, 74 for barley, 86 for oats, 41 for canola, 43 for field peas and 1,453 pounds per acre for lentils.

Harvest across Saskatchewan continued between showers, with producers concentrating on pulses, barley, mustard and durum. Farmers had combined 18 per cent of their fields, up from 11 per cent the week before. Those in the southwest led at 38 per cent, followed by the southeast at 19, west-central at 17, east-central at 10 and the northeast and northwest at four.

Wind and rain caused most of the damage provincewide, along with sclerotinia stem rot in areas that received heavy rain.

"Producers throughout the province continue to report considerable yield variability due to the dynamic nature of the growing season," the report said.