BATTLEFORDS - Producers in the northwest have started getting their combines into the fields this week, according to the crop report for the period of August 8 to 15. Approximately one per cent of the region is harvested. This is behind the five-year average of two per cent. Rain this past week has delayed harvest.
Producers in the region are primarily harvesting pulse crops this week. Lentils are the most harvested, with 28 per cent of this year’s crop in the bin. Field peas are also being taken off, with five per cent of the crop harvested. Few oilseeds and cereals have been harvested so far.
Scattered showers moved through the region this past week, providing significant moisture for some parts of the northwest. Duck Lake recorded the most rain, with 50 mm being reported. Other parts of the region only received trace amounts of rain. Topsoil moisture increased this week. Thirty-eight per cent of cropland has adequate topsoil moisture, 46 per cent is short and 16 per cent is very short. Forty per cent of hay and pasture land has adequate topsoil moisture, 34 per cent is short and 26 per cent is very short. Livestock producers are experiencing water supply shortages, with some anticipating they’ll encounter challenges in the months. Water quality is a concern for livestock producers.
Crop damage this past week is due to drought stress, flea beetles and grasshoppers. Producers are busy swathing, desiccating and harvesting crops. Livestock producers are working and marketing cattle.
