Sask Releases Weekly Crop Report

The lack of precipitation and prolonged warm weather has continued to take a toll on crops across Saskatchewan.

Because of those conditions Mother Nature has created, it's causing crops to advance prematurely with very low yields.

According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture's weekly crop report released yesterday, 36 per cent of fall cereals, 29 per cent of spring cereals, 25 per cent of oilseed crops and 30 per cent of pulse crops are ahead of their normal stages of development for this time of year.

"The stress the crops have been under for a long-time, it's causing the crops to realize that they likely don't have enough moisture and resources to get them to the end of the season," Matt Struthers, a crop extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, said. "That's why we're seeing flowering, crops flowered really early and now they're starting to seed and pod out and that's because they just don't think they have what it takes to get to the end."

It isn't just the crop ratings that are struggling either as topsoil moisture across cropland has only 14 per cent at adequate, 41 per cent short and 45 per cent very poor. While hay and pasture land is rated as nine per cent adequate, 36 per cent short and 55 per cent very short.

"Those numbers just keep dropping week-to-week and that's because of the heat and just no rain," he said. "There's been no sufficient rains across the province, there's been some really localized rains but those aren't helping the widespread."

Livestock producers now have 26 per cent of the hay crop cut while 39 per cent has been baled or put into silage. Hay quality is rated as four per cent excellent, 48 per cent good, 33 per cent fair and 15 per cent poor.