Crops Battered By Weather, Birds, Disease

VANCOUVER - Sep 23/10 - SNS -- During the past week Canada's lentil crops were struck by waves of rain and showers, killing frosts, flocks of migrating birds -- but no plants were driven into the ground by harvest equipment.

Virtually no lentils were harvested in the week ending September 20. Overall, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food said harvest activity for all crops only managed to push forward four percentage points to 18% complete, with 41% of the crop swathed or ready to straight-combine.

The five-year provincial average (2005 to 2009) for harvest progress at this time of year is 65% combined. Last week's significant rainfall in most areas of the province continues to delay harvest progress.

Farmers were able to get into the fields in areas that received only spotty showers, although combines were moving quite slowly. Some progress was made during the week in combining winter wheat, canola, peas, mustard and barley.

Combining progress across the province from Sept. 14 to 20 was as follows: southeast, 26%; southwest, 25% of the crop combined; east-central, 15%; west central, 9%; north east, 17%; and northwest, 11%.