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(file photo/CKOM News Staff)
WELL BEHIND SCHEDULE

Harvest nearly at standstill in northwest Saskatchewan

Sep 12, 2019 | 2:28 PM

Harvest in northwest Saskatchewan is essentially at a standstill, according to the latest crop report from the province.

The report said cool, wet weather and slow crop maturity have hampered efforts in the field.

Just seven per cent of crops are combined, unchanged from seven per cent last week and well behind the five-year average of 19 per cent this time of year.

An additional 33 per cent of the crop is swathed or ready to straight-cut, but the province said the region needs several weeks of warm, dry weather to help crops mature for harvest to continue.

Rainfall ranged marginally across the northwestern region last week. North Battleford saw six mm of rain, Spiritwood received 11, around Glaslyn eight mm fells and Meadow Lake has around 12 mm. The Turtleford area has received the most rain since April 1 with 409 mm.

The district reports that 44 per cent of crop land and 25 per cent of hay land and pasture is short topsoil moisture at this time.

High humidity is slowing crop maturity while some fields are too wet to continue to hay.

The story is similar for producers across the province.

Eighteen per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from 11 per cent last week, but well behind the five-year average of 43 per cent.

Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 31 per cent of the crop is in the bin. The southeast region has 24 per cent combined and the west-central region has 18 per cent. The east-central and northeast regions have eight per cent combined.

cjnbnews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

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