Crop report notes plenty of rain around Saskatchewan
Some localized flooding causing problems for farmers, province says
Saskatchewan's weekly crop report confirms what many of us have experienced firsthand — significant amounts of rain fell on much of the province in recent days.
"Last week we probably maybe needed half an inch or an inch," explained Bob Penrose, a farmer near Watrous, Sask.
"I hate to say it as a farmer because I love rain, but we probably didn't need it and we certainly didn't need six inches," he said.
According to the crop report, released Thursday, many areas of the province received at least 50 millimetres of rain over a short period of time, while some eastern and southern areas received well over 100 mm.
That's led to some localized flooding and saturated fields, although most of the crops outside the flood zone are in good-to-excellent condition, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Penrose said his crops were flourishing until Monday's rain flooded his fields.
"We have to have a good crop — we just have to keep going or our machinery gets out-dated," he added. "This is just going to cut back our yields and quality big time."
Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 33 per cent surplus, 66 per cent adequate and one per cent short.
Looking at rainfall since April, most farms in the grainbelt have received 100 to 200 mm. A year ago, a large swath of the province had received less than 100 mm in the period beginning April 1 and ending the second week of July.
