Seeding underway in Sask. despite high moisture in fields

Most of Saskatchewan’s farmers have begun seeding for the year, but rain causing high moisture levels are causing some delays.

The province’s weekly crop report indicated 11 per cent of the 2017 crop was in the ground. The five-year average for this time is 16 per cent.

While warm weather allowed farmers to complete field work like seeding, herbicide application and harvest, significant rainfall in many areas of Saskatchewan delayed progress.

The Outlook area reported the greatest amount of precipitation when it received 40 millimetres of rain.

Fields and roads across the province remain wet and are unable to support farming equipment.

Seeding is most advanced in the southeast, where 30 per cent of producers have crop in the ground.

Eighteen per cent is seeded in the southwest, three percent in the west-central, two percent in the northwestern and east-central areas and one per cent in the northeast.

Farmers are currently busy seeding, controlling weeds, moving cattle and trying to finish last year’s harvest.