Harvest begins in Saskatchewan: crop report

The long days spent in the combine on the fields of Saskatchewan have begun.

Harvest is underway for some producers in the south, according to the weekly crop report. While haying is wrapping up for some livestock producers, yields are significantly lower than normal.

Most crops are in fair to excellent condition but they are quickly drying up. Many areas have not seen significant rainfall for well over a month. The crop report also mentions later-seeded crops need rain to help heads and pods fill.

There was not much rain that fell across Saskatchewan in the week of July 24-30, with just a trace to five millimetres falling in most areas. There were a few pockets in the province that saw more — the Arborfield area reported 22 mm and the Macklin area saw 20 mm, which are both less than an inch.

In the same week, the majority of crop damage across Saskatchewan was due to the lack of moisture, strong winds and hot temperatures.