'Good progress': Saskatchewan's 2020 harvest ahead of the game

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Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 90 per cent of the crop is in the bin. The west-central area is at 61 per cent, east-central 51 per cent, northeast 33 per cent and northwest 18 per cent.

Ninety-seven per cent of lentils, 94 per cent of field peas, 87 per cent of mustard, 72 per cent of barley, 86 per cent of durum, 69 per cent of chickpeas, 55 per cent of spring wheat, 42 per cent of canola and 28 per cent of flax has now been combined.

Durum is estimated as 55 per cent No 1 grade. Peas are estimated at 38 per cent top grade and lentils rated 35 per cent No. 1.

“When we look at both the yield and quality of crop coming off, they are reported to be around average,” Tetland said.

Warm and dry weather — which is in the near forecast for much of the province — is needed to continue drying crops in the field.

“When it starts raining, farmers really can’t get out in their fields or it makes the crops tough so it’s difficult to actually cut the plant and crush the seed out of the plant,” Tetland explained. “Most definitely, not having those rains during harvest is really important to kind of facilitate it and let it go smoothly.”

The stage of the growing season and a particular crop’s maturation are factors when there is any excess heat, moisture or frost. The majority of crop damage this week was due to frost, wind and dry conditions.

“The frost was pretty widespread across the province,” noted Tetland. “Frost really causes damage to crops when they are less mature and they have a higher moisture content in the plant. … A lot of crops, thankfully, are near maturity, so they didn’t see too much damage, but there was most definitely frost damage reported in those later-seeded crops or more in the central and northern regions where the crops just aren’t quite dried down yet. It’s more in the crops that aren’t as mature that have the moisture content.

“Overall, the quality is looking good.”

dzary@postmedia.com