More than three-quarters of the crop is in the bin, according to the latest weekly report from Saskatchewan Agriculture.
Although wet and cool weather delayed harvest for most producers this past week, 78 per cent of the crop has been combined, which is ahead of the five-year average of 74 per cent for this time of year. Another 15 per cent of the crop is swathed or ready to straight-cut.
The harvest is nearly complete in the southwestern area of the province, where 92 per cent of the crop has been combined. Farmers in southeastern Saskatchewan have harvested 88 per cent of their fields, while those in the west-central and east-central region have combined 81 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively.
The northeastern crop is 53 per cent combined, with producers in the northwest slightly behind at 48 per cent.
Some areas of the province received rain this past week, with the Debden and Hafford areas recording 36 millimetres.
“Although the rain was welcomed by many producers in the drier areas of the province, those in the central and northern areas need warm and dry weather soon so that harvest can resume,” Saskatchewan Agriculture said in the report released Thursday.
The extended period of hot and dry conditions this summer has negatively affected production, particularly in the southern and central regions, the report notes. Canola crops suffered the most, as much of the crop was in full flowering during the hottest time of the season. There are indications that yield has been reduced by as much as 75 per cent in some areas.
