West-central seeding lags five-year average as rain halts progress

By Your Southwest Media Group

Farmers in west-central Saskatchewan had 13 per cent of their fields seeded, including 31 per cent of their peas, the latest crop report said.

Lack of rain during the week allowed them to complete the work as of May 11, up from only one per cent a week earlier but well behind the five-year average of 27 per cent for that point in the season.

PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

Rain and gale-force wind arrived Thursday, halting progress but restoring soil moisture levels. Moisture levels had been considered one per cent surplus, 68 per cent adequate, 29 per cent short and two per cent very short in fields, and about 58 per cent adequate, 35 per cent short and five per cent very short in hay and pasture land.

At the time, 10 per cent of the area's livestock producers said they didn't have enough water for their animals.

Throughout the province, farmers had finished seeding 16 per cent of their fields, up from three per cent the week before. Those in the southwest remained in front at 34 per cent finished, trailed by those in the southeast, 24 per cent; west-central, 13 per cent; east-central, eight per cent; northwest, six per cent; and northeast, one per cent.

They'd concentrated on pulse crops, with 33 per cent of the peas and 32 per cent of the lentil fields finished. They'd also finished planting 29 per cent of their durum, 14 per cent of the spring wheat and barley and seven per cent of their canola fields, the province-wide report said.