Provincially, only 3 percent of the 2008 crop had been combined and 7 percent had been swathed or was ready to be straight combined, the report said. Last year this time, 16 percent had been harvested and 25 percent was swathed or ready to be straight combined. The five-year average is 10 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

 

Farmers in southwest Saskatchewan were furthest along in their harvest operations, with 9 percent of crops having been put in the bins. On a province-wide basis, 18 percent of the winter wheat, 25 percent of the fall rye, 22 percent of peas and 9 percent of the lentils had been combined.

 

Of the peas harvested as of Aug. 17, 96 percent will fall into the top two grades, crop reporters estimated. For lentils, 89 percent is estimated to fall into the top two grades.

 

Rainfall during the reporting period led to improvements in topsoil moisture levels. Of the crop land, 73 percent had adequate topsoil moisture, up from 62 percent the previous week, the report said. For hay and pasture land, 63 percent had adequate topsoil moisture, up from 54 percent one week earlier.

 

Insects and lodging were the main sources of crop damage during the reporting period.