FAQ #2 Lentil Crop Forecast

REGINA - Sep 19/19 - SNS -- Initial bgrade sptread estmates by crop reporters in Saskatchewan suggest this year's lentil and dry field pea crops will have a fair average quality (FAQ) of No 2 Canada.

With the lentil harvest now 75% complete and peas 79%, crop reporters say of the samples they have seen, 31% of the peas appear to grading No 1 Canada, while 58% are No 2, 10% No 3 and 1% sample grade. For lentils, grade estimates so far are 16% No 1 Canada, 55% No 2, 22% NO 3 nd Extra 3, and 5% sample grade.

The past week saw good harvest progress in the province because warm weather and wind allowed combining to resume. Of all crops grown in the provicne, an estimated 23% are in the bin, up from 18% last week, but well below the recent average of half complete by this time. An estimated 36% of the crop is now swathed or ready to straight-cut.

Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 37% of the crop is now combined. The southeast region has 28% combined and the west-central region 26%. The northeast region has 15% combined, the east-central region 12% combined while the northwest region has 10%.

The week started with 90% of winter wheat, 88% of fall rye, 78% of field peas, 75% of lentils, 39% of barley, 17% of durum and oats, 13% of spring wheat and 6% of canola in the bin. An additional 56% of canola is swathed or is ready to straightcut.

Across the province, topsoil moisture conditions on cropland are rated as 14 per cent surplus, 77% adequate, 8% short and 1% very short. Most crop damage this past week was due to localized flooding and strong winds, with reports of crops bleaching and sprouting in areas with excess moisture.