CROP REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 26, 2007

Progress continued over the past week on the 2007 harvest, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's weekly crop report.

Twenty-seven per cent of the 2007 crop has been combined, and a further 31 per cent has been swathed or is ready to be straight combined. The five-year (2002-2006) average is 18 per cent combined, and 21 per cent swathed or ready to straight combine at this time of year.

Harvest operations are most advanced in the south-western part of the province, where 63 per cent of the crop has been combined. Provincially, the winter wheat crop is 67 per cent combined, fall rye is 88 per cent harvested, peas are 68 per cent combined and lentils are 74 per cent combined. While the overall yield estimates continue to decline slightly, yields can be highly variable within an area. There have been some reports of lodging, bleaching, sprouting, staining and light bushel weights.

Topsoil moisture conditions improved over the past week. Sixty per cent of the crop land, and 55 per cent of the hay and pasture land were rated as having adequate topsoil moisture.

Pasture conditions however, have deteriorated further from the end of July. Currently, 47 per cent of the crop reporters rated pastures in good to excellent condition, compared with 57 per cent the previous month. The poorest pasture conditions are in the southern part of the province where some farmers have resorted to feeding their livestock.

Six per cent of reporters rated livestock water supplies as inadequate, and in a number of areas, farmers are hauling water for their animals.

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For more information, contact:

Terry Bedard
Agriculture and Food
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5956
Email: tbedard@agr.gov.sk.ca