Crop Report June 30- July 6

Haying continues in much of the province despite limited plant growth due to the shortfall in precipitation. Livestock producers now have 24 per cent of the hay crop cut and 15 per cent baled or put into silage, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report.

Hay quality is currently rated as four per cent excellent, 43 per cent good, 34 per cent fair and 19 per cent poor. Many hay swaths are significantly smaller than normal and producers are concerned that hay will be in short supply this year as pasture conditions continue to deteriorate from the lack of rainfall.

The Ministry of Agriculture has a Forage, Feed and Custom Service listing for producers to advertise and source feed products. It is available at: http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/FeedForageListing

Rainfall this past week ranged from trace amounts to nearly two inches in west-central areas. However, precipitation was spotty and most areas received either no rain or just light showers averaging a third of an inch. As a result, topsoil remains dry. Provincially, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 33 per cent adequate, 45 per cent short and 22 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 23 per cent adequate, 41 per cent short and 36 per cent very short.

Crops are developing well in most of the province, although many crops in drier areas are short, thin and heading out and/or flowering earlier than normal. Sixty-seven per cent of the fall cereals and 39 per cent spring cereals are in the heading stage, with an additional 31 per cent of the fall cereals in the dough stage. Forty-five per cent of flax, 55 per cent of canola and mustard, and 82 per cent of pulse crops are in the flower to boll/pod stage.

Crop conditions vary throughout the province with the majority of crops in poor to good condition. Grasshoppers and lack of moisture remain significant causes of reported crop damage.

Farmers are busy controlling pests and cutting hay.

East-Central Saskatchewan (Crop District 5 – Melville, Yorkton, Cupar, Kamsack, Foam Lake, Preeceville and Kelvington areas; Crop District 6A – Lumsden, Craik, Watrous and Clavet areas)

Haying continues in the region and 16 per cent has now been cut and six per cent has been baled or put into silage. Feed shortages remain a concern for some producers in the region as hay yields are expected to be well-below average. Hay quality is rated as two per cent excellent, 45 per cent good, 39 per cent fair and 14 per cent poor. Pasture conditions are rated as two per cent excellent, 24 per cent good, 42 per cent fair, 24 per cent poor and eight per cent very poor.

Rainfall ranged from trace amounts to 45 mm (the Bethune area). The Stalwart area received 12.5 mm last week, bringing its total rainfall since April 1 to 126.3 mm, the greatest amount for the region.

Little improvement was observed in topsoil moisture conditions from the little rain that fell last week. Topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as one per cent surplus, 42 per cent adequate, 47 per cent short and 10 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as 35 per cent adequate, 51 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Crop District 5B is reporting that 21 per cent of cropland acres and 22 per cent of hay land and pasture acres are very short topsoil moisture at this time.

Crop development varies through the region but the majority of crops are in poor to good condition. Despite the lack of sufficient precipitation, the majority of the crops in the region look better than expected.  This has been attributed to good subsoil moisture that earlier-seeded crops were able to access. The majority of crop damage this week was caused by lack of moisture and insects (mainly flea beetles, aphids and grasshoppers).

Farmers are busy controlling pests, cutting hay where they can and hoping for rain.