Concerns about machinery hitting power lines
As seeding moves into full swing, more cases are being reported around province
SaskPower is now providing the provincial Ministry of Agriculture with information on the number of incidents involving farm equipment coming in contact with power lines.
“It only takes one incident or one second for something to happen. With these incidents, fortunately nobody’s been seriously injured or killed, but the danger really is real,” said Laura McKnight, spokeswoman with SaskPower.
This week’s provincial crop report released Thursday included the first reported numbers from SaskPower. Between May 15 and 21, there were 23 incidents where farm equipment came in contact with power lines. A total of 67 incidents occurred between May 1 and May 21.
These numbers are status quo compared to years past, according to McKnight. Last year, 86 incidents had been reported as of May 8, compared to 37 this year. However, seeding was more advanced last year by then.
The incidents are happening across the province according to McKnight, affecting customers. On May 11, a power outage in the Weyburn area affected approximately 1,000 customers after a piece of farm equipment came in contact with a power line.
SaskPower recommends farmers always familiarize themselves with the area before moving machinery, as the height of power lines can vary.
“With machinery becoming bigger and bigger, definitely everybody every time that they’re out there (they should) identify those hazards and just be prepared,” McKnight said.
The Ministry of Agriculture said these numbers will be included regularly in the crop report.
After a dry week, producers were able to get out into fields and double the amount seeded from the last week. However, the Ministry of Agriculture estimates five per cent of acres in the province will not be seeded due to excess moisture.
Seeding is most advanced in the southeast part of the province, where producers have 80 per cent of the crop in the ground. Seventy-six per cent is seeded in the southwest, 59 per cent in the west-central region, 53 per cent in the east-central region, 43 per cent in the northwest and 25 per cent in the northeast.
For the most part it was a pretty dry week across the province. Fields remain wet in the northern regions, with other parts of the province in need of rain.
“I think this is the driest week we’ve had all season. So most producers were able to get out there. We heard minimal reports of rainfall ... although the Vonda area did receive 18 millimetres,” said Shannon Friesen, acting crop management specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture in Moose Jaw.
Some producers in the northeast region have not yet finished harvest from last year.
“In many cases farmers have now left the harvest alone and they are concentrating on seeding operations. What is left out there too in many cases is not salvageable and will likely either be burned or worked under,” Friesen said.
The majority of crops are either at or behind normal developmental stages for this time of year. Frost damaged some alfalfa, winter cereal and canola fields, with a few needing to be re-seeded.
In many cases farmers have now left the harvest alone and they are concentrating on seeding operations.