Dry weather helps farmers with seeding: crop report

While warm, dry weather helped farmers continue seeding, they remain behind the five-year average for this time.

The province released its weekly crop report Thursday for the week of May 15 to 21.

Producers now have 60 per cent of the crop in the ground. The five-year average for this time is 65 per cent.

While many farmers have completed seeding, others need several more weeks of warm, dry weather.

Seeding is furthest along in the southeast where farmers have 80 per cent of crop in the ground.

In the southwest, 76 per cent of crop is in the ground, compared to 59 per cent in the west-central region, 53 per cent in the east-central, 43 per cent in the northwest and 25 per cent in the northeast.

While most of the province didn’t receive any moisture during the week, the Vonda area received 18 millimetres of rain.

Fields are still wet in the northern regions while fields in other parts of the province are in need of rain.

Overall, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 11 percent surplus, 19 per cent adequate, nine per cent short and one per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture are rated as seven per cent surplus, 76 per cent adequate, 15 per cent short and two per cent very short.

There is estimated that five per cent of acres won’t be able to be seeded due to excessive moisture.

SaskPower reported there were 23 instances where farm equipment contacted power lines between May 15 and 21.