Saskatchewan farmers made significant harvest progress during the past week.

The latest crop report says 43 percent of the crop is in the bin, up from 28 percent last week and well ahead of the average of 35 percent for this date.

Harvest ranges from 71 percent complete in the southwest to seven percent in the northwest.

Estimated average yields this harvest are 45 bushels an acre for hard red spring wheat, 38 bushels for durum, 67 bushels for barley, 35 bushels for canola, 39 bushels for field peas and 1,548 pounds per acre for lentils.

Hot weather several weeks ago caused more damage in some crops than first anticipated.

Rainfall ranged from a trace to 29 millimeters in the Kelvington area.

Topsoil moisture is rated 2 percent surplus, 34 percent adequate, 41 percent short and 23 percent very short.

The main causes of crop loss this past week was due to strong winds, lack of moisture and frost.

This week’s hard frost in much of the grainbelt caused some damage to late-seeded and immature crops.

Farmers are assessing the damage to determine the impact.

Seeding of winter cereals will be minimal this fall because of very dry conditions.
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