Producers waiting for harvest weather to cooperate

Southwest producers are weather watching in hopes for a return of drying conditions so they can finish harvest operations this fall.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Crop Report for the period of October 2 to 8 notes that harvest was stalled since the start of the month, with a second straight report of 90 per cent of harvest completed. Rain and snow have limited field work to only a few hours during the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Wet and cool weather has limited harvest operations in the Southwest, with producers only able to collect four per cent of the harvest since 86 per cent of the crop was reported in the bin as of September 18.

Any grain that has come off recently is being added to the growing acres of crop that are being placed in dryers after coming off tough or damp. A stretch of warm, dry and windy weather is needed in order to allow producers to complete harvest.

Crops remaining in the field are experiencing lodging from snow and rain, with some crops expected to be downgraded because they have bleached or sprouted. Geese and other wildlife have been feeding on swathed crops.

Province wide, 78 per cent of the crop is in the bin, slightly ahead of the 73 per cent recorded a week ago. The weather has now pushed Saskatchewan below the five-year average of being 84 per cent completed at this time of year.