Winnipeg, Sept. 24 – Rainfall over the past week in Saskatchewan delayed harvest operations in northern areas of the province, says Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly crop report.
While only trace amounts of rain were recorded in a few central and southern areas, northern growing regions received as much as two inches of rain for the week ended Sept. 21.
Some areas also received a touch of frost although damage was minimal in most cases as the crops were mature. However, bleaching and sprouting do continue to pop up intermittently.
According to the weekly report, 60 percent of the 2015 crop is now combined and 28 percent has been swathed or is ready to straight-cut. Those numbers exceed the five-year average of 56 percent combined and 27 percent swathed.
Producers in the southwest have combined 81 percent of their crop. Just behind them are growers in the southeast who have 79 percent of their crop combined.
About 52 per cent of the crop is combined in the west-central region; 47 percent in the east-central region; 32 percent in the northwest and 34 percent in the northeast.
Seven percent of pastures are said to be in excellent condition with another 52 percent in good condition. Just 34 percent is fair while six percent is poor. Wind, rain and flooding have taken its toll this summer, according to the report.
