September 18, 2009

Warm, dry weather conditions allowed Saskatchewan farmers to make good harvest progress during the week ended Monday, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture said in a crop update issued Thursday (September 17).

Roughly 32 percent of the crops have now been combined, which compares to 18 percent the previous week and 39 percent at this point last year. An additional 27 percent of the crops were said to be swathed, while 8 percent were ready for straight combining.

Scattered showers slowed harvest progress in some areas during the week, while the shorter days also caused some delays because of dew in the mornings and evenings, the report said.

Across the province, 90 percent of the winter wheat had been harvested, 88 percent of the fall rye, 78 percent of the lentils, 87 percent of the peas and 49 percent of the mustard. Canola was 14 percent harvested, with an additional 65 percent lying in the swath.

Grasshoppers and sawfly were the major causes of crop damage during the week. Lodging was also caused in some areas due to rain and winds.

The report said farmers in the province will need one to two more weeks of warm, dry weather to get the crops off in decent shape.