ESTEVAN — Many producers have now started harvest in southeast Saskatchewan, but the yields and the quality will be dependent on location.
According to the weekly crop report from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, released on Aug. 10, harvest was four per cent complete in the southeast, although that information was a few days old. The five-year average for that point in the year was two per cent.
Sherri Roberts, a crops extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, said there are some fields in the southeast that are beautiful and the producers are thrilled with the yields. Then there are other areas that don't look so good.
The Oxbow and Carnduff areas received some timely rains that benefitted the crops. There is also a swath in the Estevan and Lampman areas where the farmers are happy.
"You can go down a road, and on one side of the road, the crops are beautiful, and then you look to the other side of the road, and they're hurting," said Roberts, whose area covers 46 RMs. "That's just the way the rains seem to be this year, and that's Mother Nature's fluke."
She's also pleased with the crops in the Glenavon area. One producer she talked to reported 40 bushels per acre of peas this year.
Areas that are going to have a tough year are around Kipling and Kennedy. There's a stretch between Highway 1 and Highway 13, bordered by the 605 grid road, that didn't receive a lot of rain. There are also fields in the Francis-Sedley area that will have sparse yields.
"I'm looking at a field … southwest of Radville, and it's very unhappy," said Roberts.
Last year the southeast region received the precipitation it needed, and there were a lot of happy producers. Only a few pockets were dry. This year the lack of moisture was more common.
But it's worse in the southwest and south-central areas, she said.
Roberts is pleased to see the number of acres of soybeans planted this year, and the fields she has driven past look really good. She has also seen a resurgence in the number of acres of sunflowers planted.
In some areas, the lentils are already harvested, and producers have made progress on fall rye, winter wheat, and silage barley and cereals.
Some producers whose cereals are still filling out will be happy to receive precipitation, she said, and those with soybeans could also use moisture. Rain would also benefit corn.
"I know the people that are harvesting wish it [the rain] would just disappear and dry up for a couple of weeks, so they could get at it, but there are still areas where they would benefit from the moisture."
Some pastures and alfalfa fields are in need of precipitation as well.
The quality should be very good this year, she said. Farmers received the heat they needed this summer.
"With the amount of acres that are looking really good versus the amount of acres that are looking very bad, I think we are still, down here in the southeast, going to come up with an average to above average crop, overall," she said.
Roberts emphasized the importance of safety, especially in areas with dry conditions. They should be ready if they have a combine fire to prevent the situation from escalating. And she noted this is a stressful time of year. If producers feel the need to talk to somebody, they can reach out to the Farm Stress Line, a neighbour or someone at the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Don't let the stress get the best of you. There's all kinds of people that are more than happy to lend a hand, to give an ear, to help you out and realize that life's worth living, and don't let one bad crop make you make a foolish mistake," said Roberts.
