Released on September 3, 1996
Sixteen per cent of the 1996 harvest in now complete, according toSaskatchewan Agriculture and Food's weekly crop report.
Last week's hot, dry weather across the grainbelt helped to ripen crops
and advance harvest progress. Seventeen per cent of the crop had been
combined at this time last year. The five-year, (1991-1995), average
is 20 per cent combined.
Harvesting of fall-seeded crops is progressing well, with 98 per cent
of fall rye and 87 per cent of winter wheat harvested, up from 80 per
cent of fall rye and 73 per cent of winter wheat harvested last week.
Harvesting of spring crops is becoming general in many areas of the
province and is most advanced in the southwest. On average, 19 per
cent of barley, 17 per cent of durum, 13 per cent of canola, and 12 per
cent of spring wheat have been combined. Combining of spring-seeded
grains and oilseeds remains behind the five-year average.
Combining of specialty crops is well under way across the grainbelt,
with 40 per cent of lentils, 34 per cent of peas, and 31 per cent of
mustard harvested.
With 12 per cent of the spring wheat crop harvested to date,
preliminary quality estimates suggest an above average quality spring
wheat crop in 1996. Of the crop harvested, about 90 per cent is
expected to grade 1 Canada Western, (CW).
Crop damage during the past week was mainly the result of heat and
drought stress. Wind also caused some crop damage, particularly in the
west central grainbelt. As well, farmers in the central region were
still spraying for bertha armyworms and flea beetles. Crop damage due
to diseases such as ergot, mildew, sclerotinia, blackleg, root rot and
take-all root rot was reported in localized southeast, central and
northeast areas.
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For more information, contact:
Terry Karwandy
Agricultural Economist
Statistics Branch
Agriculture and Food
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-5956