Crop yields expected to be higher than the provincial average in the northeast and well below average in the west-central and southwest

A week of hot, dry weather in the majority of the province meant farmers were able to make some good progress with the harvest. 

This week's crop report shows 42 per cent of the provincial crop is in the bin, up from 23 per cent last week, and slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 40 percent. 

Crops Extension Specialist Matt Struthers say harvest should be wrapped up in the southwest soon with 83 per cent of the crop off, 61 per cent is in for the west central area, 33 per cent for the southeast, the northwest 28 per cent, the east-central has 27 per cent complete and the northeast
21 per cent. 

"Winter cereals are very close to being completed with 96 per cent of winter wheat and 84 per cent of fall rye harvested. Ninety-one per cent of lentils and field peas, 70 per cent of durum, 52 per cent of barley, 40 per cent of spring wheat and 22 per cent of the canola crop has now been combined."

He notes crop yields vary around the province but they put the estimated provincial crop yield estimates at 43 bushels per acre for hard red spring wheat, 30 bushels per acre for durum, 34 bushels per acre for canola, 34 bushels per acre for field peas and 1,174 pounds per acre for lentils.

"Crop yields in the southwest and west-central regions are significantly lower than the provincial averages due to the hot, dry conditions."

In the southwest, many producers are combining short, thin crops with very low yields, roughly half of the provincial estimated averages. 

Producers also reporting that the grain is being downgrading due to low kernel weights.

In the west-central area, yield estimates are well below average with producers in crop district 7B  reporting some of their fields are yielding closer to average.