Dry conditions affecting crops in northwest

Dry conditions in parts of northwestern Saskatchewan are already starting to have an impact on this year’s crop.

According to the June 6 crop report, seeding is essentially finished. Looking at the province as a whole, crop growth is excellent thanks to the warm weather. However, in the northwest district, more rain is needed. Germination is described as spotty, and pasture and hay are slow-growing.

Daphne Cruise, regional crops specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture, said it was hard to give a general overview, because recent rain has been hit-and-miss.

“When we look across the western side there, especially when it comes to the rain, the northwest seems to be missing a few of those more significant rain showers, depending on the area, of course,” she said. “That kind of seems to be the name of the game this spring. Lots of places throughout the province are receiving adequate moisture, sometimes excess moisture, and then not very far down the road there’s not a lot of moisture left in any of those clouds. So it is a bit different.”