The last four per cent of Saskatchewan’s crops had to wait on the field for a few days due to showers, the province reported Monday.
In the last of Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s weekly crop reports, the harvest is 96 per cent complete, up from 94 per cent a week earlier and the five-year average of 89 per cent for the same time last year.
The northeast remains furthest behind at 84 per cent combined, while the south is nearly complete, waiting mostly on some sunflower and flax acres. Flax, canary seed, canola and oats remained furthest behind under cool, cloudy skies in the northeast.
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Alberta Crop Report: Rains in the south, dryness in the north
Rain fell onto the southern half of Alberta last week, while hot and dry conditions persisted in the northern half, according to the province’s crop report released on July 18.
With 96 per cent of the spring wheat harvest in, reporters estimate 35 per cent will grade No. 1 CW, 37 per cent No. 2, 21 per cent Nov. 3 and seven per cent feed. That’s down from the 10-year average of 50 per cent No. 1 and 14 per cent feed.
Snow is reported to have flattened some crops on the northern edge of the grain belt, while weathering and migrating waterfowl damaged some remaining crops as well, SAF reported. Grain dryers are running across much of the north.
Not surprisingly, the northeast and northwest reported mostly adequate topsoil moisture on crop, hay and pasture land, while a third of southeastern and two-thirds of southwestern acres could use more rain before freeze-up, SAF noted.
