Farmers Struggle To Finish Harvest

PANAMA - Oct 6/16 - SNS -- Saskatchewan's farmers continued to struggle to finish this year's pea and lentil harvest because of general rains in the province, reports the provincial agriculture department.

"Producers were able to get back into the field for a few days and make some harvest progress in between the weekend rains," Saskatchewan Agriculture said in its latest crop update. Around 80% of the 2016 crop has been combined and 14% is swathed or ready to straight-cut. The five-year (2011-2015) average for this time of year is 86% combined.

Regionally, harvest is furthest advanced in the southeast, where producers have 88% of the crop in the bin. In the southwest 81% of all crops have been combined, compared to 77% in the east-central region, 73% in the west-central and 78% is combined in the northwestern and northeastern regions.

As of October 3, 99% of the peas, 95% of the lentils, 76% of the mustard, 41% of the canaryseed, 74% of the durum, 79% of the spring wheat, 77% of the canola and 43% of the flax have been combined.

Saskatchewan Agriculture updated its yield estimates, noting that they have not changed much from one month ago and remain average to above average for most crops. Winter wheat, oat, canola and soybean yield estimates have increased slightly, while mustard and chickpea yields have decreased slightly. The next official production estimate from Statistics Canada will be the final report, due in December.