Warm weather and rain have helped crop development in Saskatchewan

Shellbrook area farmer Arnold Balicki said he doesn’t know exactly how much rain they’ve had so far in July, but it’s wet.

“We’re well in excess of five inches in our area. It’s more moisture then normal for this time of year we have our low-lying land where the crops are turning yellow,” Balicki said. “We’ve wanted to start haying but don’t dare because every second or third day it rains.”

Balicki is also the chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. He said there are even more challenging conditions further north and west in the Meadow Lake region where heavy rains in June resulted in serious flooding.

“Any high land whether it for hay or whatever is being utilized for pasture, so the big concern is where are they going to get winter feed for these cattle?” he said. “Some producers are contemplating selling off some of their breeding stock to bring things through the winter.”

Balicki said another option producers are considering is moving cattle to another location for the winter and have someone else look after them because it’s easier to move cattle then it is to move feed.

“A whole lot of decisions have to be made by these producers before the snow flies,” Balicki said.

Most of the crop damage this week was caused by flooding, hail, wind, lack of moisture, lodging, gophers and insects.

Disease issues have been springing up including root rot and ascochyta blight in pulses. Some producers have started spraying for fusarium head blight and other diseases as environmental conditions allow.

Province-wide, 86 per cent of the fall cereals, 75 per cent of the spring cereals, 70 per cent of the oilseed crops and 82 per cent of the pulse crops are at a normal stage of development for this time of year.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF

by Alice McFarlane

Warm weather and rain have helped crop development in Saskatchewan

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