The majority of the province has continued to be dry, however some areas received heavy rain showers this past week with some isolated flash floods. Some of these areas also received hail; the size and amount of hail varied between storms and damage varied. While moisture was needed, a slow, soaking rain would have allowed crops and soils to absorb the moisture at an acceptable rate.
Pastures also needed the rain after a couple weeks of high day time temperatures and very little precipitation. Producers are watching their pasture grass and water situation very closely. The rain and humidity caused a slight delay to the haying season for some, but initial reports indicate hay quality to be in the good to excellent range.
Crop development has quickened across the province after another week of hot, dry weather with only isolated precipitation. Provincially, 30 per cent of the fall cereals, 22 per cent of the spring cereals, 22 per cent of the oilseed crops and 19 per cent of the pulse crops are ahead of normal development for this time of year. A general rain and mild temperatures are needed to avoid continued rapid maturation. Crops in the west central region, where conditions remain very dry are the most advanced while the east central region has most crops rated as normal. Crop condition varies widely across the province ranging from poor to excellent condition.
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