Agro Perspectiva

Saskatchewan Harvest Still Bogged Down

24.09.2010 15:08 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — Another week of little progress has put the Saskatchewan harvest even farther behind the average pace. According to today’s provincial crop report, 18% of the Saskatchewan crop was off as of Monday Sep 21, up just four points from the previous week. Normally at this time, 65% of the crop is in the bin. Last year, 50% of the crop had been harvested. Last week’s significant rainfall in most areas of the province continues to delay harvest progress, said the report. Farmers were able to get into the fields in areas that received only spotty showers, although combines were moving quite slowly. Some progress was made during the week in combining winter wheat, canola, peas, mustard and barley. Frost affected most of the province on Sept. 17 and 18. Harvesting progress across the province from Sept. 14 to 20 was as follows: southeast, 26%; southwest, 25% of the crop combined; east-central 15%; west central 9%; north east 17%; and northwest 11%. Across the province, an additional 41% of all crops were swathed or ready to straight-combine. The majority of crop damage to date has been caused by rain and frost, it said. Specific damage includes lodging, bleaching, sprouting and flooding. Fields are very wet, which is also making harvest difficult. While waiting to continue with harvest, farmers are assessing frost damage on crops, swathing, hauling bales, and completing other fall work. In terms of individual crops, winter wheat and fall rye were 77% and 89% combined, while peas were at 69%, lentils at 31% and mustard at 26%. Harvest progress for other crops was very modest, ranging from just 5% combined for durum and canaryseed, 8% for oats and 15% for barley. No sunflowers or flax had yet been harvested. Southeast Producers were able to make some combine progress on peas, canola, mustard, and in most cereals. It was slow going in the fields and most of the crops were taken off tough. The region has 26 per cent of the crop combined and an additional 40 per cent swathed or ready to straight combine. Last year at this time, the region had 59 per cent combined. Southwest Very little harvest progress was made in the region. Just over 25 per cent of the crop has been combined and an additional 27 per cent has been swathed or is ready to straight cut. Last year at this time, 82 per cent of the crop had been combined. East-Central Most of the field progress was made with swathing of canola and oats this past week. Some combine progress was made in field peas, lentils and canola. The region has nine per cent of the 2010 crop in the bin. An additional 48 per cent is swathed or is ready to straight cut. Last year at this time, 39 per cent of the crop had been combined. West-Central Swathing of canola and combining of peas and mustard were the main harvest activities when the weather allowed farmers into the field. Harvest progress remains about the same as last week with just over seven per cent of the crop combined. An additional 38 per cent is swathed or is ready to straight cut. Last year at this time, 40 per cent of the crop had been combined. Northeast Some farmers indicated they were able to get in a few days of combining, although it was slow going and most crops were tough. Farmers in the region have 17 per cent of the 2010 crop combined. Most of the progress was made in peas, canola and wheat. Fifty-three per cent is swathed or ready to straight combine. Last year at this time, 32 per cent of the crop had been combined. Northwest Some harvest progress was made this past week in between the rains. Most of the progress was made in field peas and canola. The region has 11 per cent of the 2010 crop combined. An additional 57 per cent is swathed or ready to straight cut. Last year at this time, 29 per cent of the crop was off the field. Crop district 9AW has 13 per cent of the crop combined and CD 9B has nine per cent of the crop combined. The report also reminded farmers that the deadline to submit forage claims and declarations is September 30. If producers have not completed harvest by this date, they may request an extension of insurance. September 30 is also the deadline to submit Excess Moisture Program (EMP) applications for acres unseeded by June 20 or seeded and subsequently flooded on or before July 31. More recent weather forecasts include the potential for drier weather into next week. Such weather would allow fields to dry, and give producers an opportunity to make some harvest progress.