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Manitoba harvest experiences rain delay

Aug 29, 2024 | 12:56 PM

There was varying amounts of precipitation over the past week ranging from just a trace to upwards of 78 millimeters in Manitoba’s northwest region.

Manitoba Agriculture cereal crop specialist Ann Kirk said moisture reserves range from optimal to wet.

“The northwest, the southeast and the Interlake all saw some pretty large amounts of precipitation and some damaging winds, mostly over the weekend and we did also see a big jump in the amount of harvest completed over the past week,” Kirk said. “Farmers were able to get on their land and do quite a bit of harvesting before we had some large amounts of rainfall.”

For specific crops, winter cereals in the southwest, central and eastern regions are very close to completion. The northwest and Interlake are a bit behind at about 60 and 70 per cent complete.

Kirk said when it comes to spring wheat, the central region is at about 25 per cent complete, 10 per cent in the southwest and roughly five per cent in the northwest, eastern and Interlake regions.

“Then for field peas we are seeing ranges from about 40 per cent to 75 per cent complete of field peas across the regions,” she said. “Then canola harvest is just starting in the central region and parts of the eastern region but that’s all we’re seeing right now for canola.”

Kirk said depending on moisture conditions and how cool it is and how early people can get out into the fields, she’s expecting to see a big jump in harvest. For the most part, spring cereals would be at the time appropriate for harvest or very close to that time.

“I’m guessing we’ll also see a big jump in canola harvest as well as we are seeing canola reaching maturity in various parts of the province,” she said.

Kirk said she has heard of farmers beginning to plant winter cereal crops and she expects there will be a jump in the number of acres planted over the next week.

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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