Farmscape for September 8, 2023

With Saskatchewan's harvest just past the halfway point, crop yields and quality have been better than expected and comparable to last year.
Saskatchewan Agriculture issued its weekly crop report yesterday.
McKenzie Hladun, a crop extension specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, says indications are that crop yields and quality are both better than expected.

Quote-McKenzie Hladun-Saskatchewan Agriculture:
Producers have really made fantastic progress this past week and we're now across the halfway point of harvest for the province with 51 percent of the crop off and in the bin.
This is up from 33 percent last week and ahead of our five-year average of 34 percent and our 10 year average of 33 percent.
When we break things down regionally we're seeing that the southwest is continuing to lead Saskatchewan progress at 81 percent completed.
This includes an estimated three percent of all crops being used as a feed source.
Harvest in the west central region is also rapidly advancing with 60 percent of the crop in the bin.
The southeast is close to the halfway point at 49 percent completed and the northwest has made significant progress this week and is now 21 percent completed.
We're seeing that the diverse growing conditions across the province this year are really apparent as producers are seeing varying yields for all crop types.
What we're seeing regionally is the drought conditions in the southwest have led to yields below the provincial average this year.
Meanwhile, the moisture received in the northeast has led to yields above our provincial averages this year.
When we look at yields specifically, we're seeing that hard red spring wheat is provincially estimated at 42 bushels per acre.
Durum is estimated at 23 bushels per acre and barley is estimated at 52 bushels per acre.
When we look at oilseeds we see that canola is estimated at 31 bushels per acre while mustard is estimated at 1,136 pounds per acre.
Lentils are estimated to yield 1,058 pounds per acre, chickpeas are 1,071 pounds per acre and peas are estimated at 30 bushels per acre.

Hladun says, overall, yields have been comparable to last year with many farmers indicating yields are better than expected but that all depends on location and the amount of moisture received.
She acknowledges drought conditions in the southwest are definitely apparent in the yields there but, overall, most producers are satisfied, although many are still hoping for higher yields as the harvest progresses.
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Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers