Saskatchewan

Flooding and hail among factors keeping Sask. harvest well behind schedule

Some farms in the province have flooded and been hammered by recent hail, and the latest crop report by the Ministry of Agriculture reflects how that weather is affecting harvest.

This time last year harvest was 58% complete; this year, it's at 18%

Farmers are waiting for favourable weather so they can continue with harvest operations, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. (Dave Gilson/CBC)

Some farms in Saskatchewan have flooded and been hammered by recent hail, and the latest crop report from the Ministry of Agriculture reflects how that weather is affecting harvest.

As of Sept. 9, combining was only 18 per cent done for the year, according to the ministry's report for the week of Sept. 3-9.

To give a sense of how low that is, last year 58 per cent of crops were already in the bin. Over the past five years, harvest has been 43 per cent done by now, on average.

The southwest regions of the province are furthest along, at 31 per cent complete.

The east-central and north are the furthest behind. Only eight per cent of harvesting is done in the east-central and northeast regions, and seven per cent in the northwest.

Just over three-quarters of fall rye and winter wheat are in the bins, whereas four per cent of canola has been harvested.