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Crop Report

Snow and rain put damper on harvest

Oct 3, 2019 | 12:51 PM

Rain and snow put more of a delay on harvest this week.

Provincial Crop Analyst Cory Jacob said farmers made some combining progress before weekend rain and snow put a halt to most field work.

This week’s provincial crop report shows there is 47 per cent of the crop combined.

“About eight per cent was combined across the province this week so they are still inching ahead when weather will let them but definitely still behind that five-year average,” Jacobs said.

The five year average is 75 per cent combined around the province.

Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region with 68 per cent combined. The northeast region has 50 per cent of the crop off the field, the southeast and east central region has 46 per cent combined, the northwest has 44 per cent combined and east central has 33 per cent combined.

The Swift Current area was the hardest hit with snow earlier this week with up to 103 mm of precipitation.

Topsoil moisture on crop land has a rating of 31 per cent surplus, 65 per cent adequate, and four per cent short.

Damage was due to hail, strong winds, logging, on top of the snow, frost and localized flooding. Some damage was also due to wildlife.

“Anything that was combined earlier in August was definitely higher grade,” Jacobs said.

Crop conditions range from average, and below average.

Jacobs believes it is going to take a good week for farmers to return to the fields unless they have the ability to dry grain.

“If we get a good two to three weeks, we could definitely wrap-up by the end of October,” Jacobs said. “Otherwise it will go into mid-November.”

angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser

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