By Brent Bosker

Farmers in the northeast make huge progress on seeding

May 27, 2011 | 11:59 AM

The weather continues to co-operate with farmers who are rushing to get seed in the ground.

Producers in the northeast made huge gains last week. The latest crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture shows seeding in the region is now 62 per cent complete – a four-fold increase over the previous week.

The weather has definitely been uplifting for farmers said Saskatchewan Agriculture crop reporter Daphne Cruise.

“I think this is the weather that farmers in the region have been waiting for and … hopefully they can keep on with this momentum,” she said.

The conditions are better than they were last year, said Leonard Blocka who farms south of Prince Albert.

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The amount of seeding progress varies from region-to-region Cruise added.

The northwest is the furthest along at 79 per cent while the water-logged southeast is only 24 per cent complete.

The provincial average is 54 per cent when normally 72 per cent of fields have been planted.

“This is obviously depending largely on where the rain has been recorded, not only this past week, but since seeding has begun,” she said.

Cruise said the moisture in the ground is certainly the biggest challenge still facing farmers this seeding season.

“Fields are still actually quite wet,” said Cruise.

Roads in some regions are affected too. Cruise said the excessive moisture this spring has left grid roads soft and unable to support farm equipment.

bbosker@panow.com