Crop Report for the Period September 29 to October 5, 2015

Released on October 8, 2015

Wet and cool weather over the weekend has slowed harvest progress for many producers, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report.  Eighty-four per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from 74 per cent last week.  Twelve per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut.

The five-year (2010-2014) average for this time of year is 83 per cent combined and 12 per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut.

Regionally, producers in the southeast are furthest advanced, having 94 per cent of the crop combined.  Producers in the southwest have 92 per cent combined.  Eighty-one per cent of the crop is combined in the west-central region; 75 per cent in the east-central region; 74 per cent in the northeast and 73 per cent in the northwest.

Eighty-six per cent of barley, 85 per cent of durum, 84 per cent of spring wheat, 81 per cent of canola, 79 per cent of soybeans, 61 per cent of chickpeas, 47 per cent of flax and 45 per cent of canary seed have been combined.

Crop yields vary from region to region but are generally within the average range.  Average yields are reported as 37 bushels per acre for spring wheat, 32 bushels per acre for durum, 59 bushels per acre for barley, 34 bushels per acre for canola and 32 bushels per acre for peas.
Of the hard red spring wheat that has been harvested so far, 27 per cent is expected to fall into the 1CW grade, 41 per cent into 2CW, 23 per cent into 3CW and nine per cent into CW feed.

Rainfall last week ranged from trace amounts to nearly two inches in the southwest.  Provincially, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 14 per cent surplus, 78 per cent adequate and eight per cent short.  Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as five per cent surplus, 80 per cent adequate, 11 per cent short and four per cent very short.

The Ministry of Agriculture has a Forage, Feed and Custom Service listing for producers to advertise and source feed products.  It is available at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/FeedForageListing.

Farmers are busy harvesting and hauling bales and grain.

Follow the 2015 Crop Report on Twitter at @SKAgriculture.

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For more information, contact:

Shannon Friesen 
Agriculture
Moose Jaw
Phone: 306-694-3592
Email: shannon.friesen@gov.sk.ca