As of Monday, harvest was 79 per cent complete, slightly ahead of the five- and 10-year averages for this time of year.
According to the most recent provincial crop report, which covers the period from Sept. 17 to 23, “harvest was delayed across much of the province over the past week due to rainfall,” while some of the crops still standing were damaged and battered about by “wind, wildlife and waterfowl.”
Southwestern Saskatchewan saw the brunt of this wet weather; the Gouldtown area reported about 100 mm of precipitation over the course of the week, while the Richmound and Eston areas each recorded more than 80 mm.
As of Monday, harvest was 79 per cent complete, slightly ahead of the five- and 10-year averages for this time of year.
Watch: Harvest in Saskatchewan
Harvest in east-central and west-central Saskatchewan is three-quarters done, and northeastern and northwestern farms are about two-thirds complete.
According to the crop report, all of Saskatchewan’s winter wheat, triticale and field peas for 2024 have now been harvested, and fall rye, lentils, durum, chickpeas, mustard and barley are close behind.
Flax and soybeans still have the furthest to go this harvest season. More than half of each of those crops is still standing in the fields.
Meanwhile, some farmers are already starting to put their winter cereals in the ground or get started on fall pest control.
Though many with crops still waiting to be harvested are “hopeful for drier conditions in the upcoming weeks” as they finish up, the recent spate of late-September rainstorms has helped replenish topsoil moisture conditions and green up pastures for fall grazing.
Watch: How cropland topsoil moisture conditions changed in 2024
More rain would also come as a relief for the 31 per cent of Saskatchewan producers who currently say they have “moderate shortages” of water for their livestock, and the 15 per cent of producers who are concerned about livestock water quality.
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