WINNIPEG – Storms over the Labour Day weekend delivered 50 to 150 mm of rain to a large geography across Western Canada, stretching from Brooks, Alta. to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
The rain has put a pause on harvest and combines could be idle for five days or a week.
“Since the first of September, I’m hearing reports of over seven inches (of rain),” said Travis Wiens, an agronomist with MNP in Milestone, Sask., south of Regina.
Those reports of 175 mm of rain are from the area east of Regina, towards Indian Head, Sask.
Less rain fell south of Regina, down the U.S. border and southeast to Weyburn, but that region is also wet. Most combines were stationary for the first seven days of September.
“Very little harvest progress, last week,” Wiens said, who added about 50 per cent of cereals in the region and 20 per cent of the canola was harvested by September 8.
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“It’s raining again today (Tuesday)…. So, I would say probably Friday afternoon (combining could resume) at the earliest.”
Later than usual seeding this spring because of excess moisture, in combination with a major rainstorm in September, means harvest could be late or very late on the Prairies this year
Producers in southern Saskatchewan are ahead of farmers in the northeast, a region that received 50-75 mm of rain over the weekend.
That will put a stop to harvest, which was just beginning in the region, said Kim Stonehouse, a crops extension specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture in Tisdale.
Only four per cent of crops were harvested in northeastern Saskatchewan, as of August 31.
Producers were harvesting cereals the first week of September, but progress was slow.
“Harvest wasn’t in full swing around here, to start with,” Stonehouse said. “So (the rain) is going to push everything back and (farmers) are going to feel a little more pressure to try and get things off.”
On the positive side, minimal rain fell on northeastern Saskatchewan in August. Most fields should be capable of soaking up 50-70 mm of rain, which should allow farmers to resume combining sooner than later.
Minimal harvest around Yorkton
Less rain fell on Yorkton over the Labour Day weekend, which received about 25-35 mm, said Wade McNeil, an agronomist and owner of AgraTactics Agronomy.
That’s positive, but the harvest is well behind normal progress in east central Saskatchewan.
“I would say we were at five per cent (complete). I have lots of customers that just got started when the rain happened,” said McNeil, who explained that harvest is delayed because most fields around Yorkton were seeded in late May or early June.
“We had a lot of June seeding (around here).”
A portion of the spring wheat crop has not been desiccated, so it could be 10-14 days before farmers are harvesting wheat in the Yorkton region, McNeil added.
As for canola, in low spots of certain fields the crop is still blooming. Combines will not be in those fields for a while.
“At this point, unless we get some really hot weather, it’s going to be October (combining) for a lot of us,” McNeil said.
Late harvest around Battleford
Quentin Cubbon, a crops extension specialist with the province in North Battleford, recorded about 35-40 mm of rain in his rain gauge over the September long weekend.
That’s less than other parts of the province, but as of August 31 only four per cent of crops were harvested in northwestern Saskatchewan, says the provincial crop report.
That’s well behind the five-year average of 20 per cent for the last week of August.
Producers were combining cereals in the first week of September around North Battleford, but many crops had high moisture content.
“Guys were taking it off quite tough, at 20 (per cent moisture),” Cubbon said. “And throwing it in dryers or drying bins to try and (preserve) quality.”
There has been some progress, but Battleford is in northern Saskatchewan and farmers are getting worried about a fall frost.
As a result, some producers are “in a little bit of panic” to get their crops in the bin, Cubbon said.
September normally means cooler days, which is adding to the concerns.
Harvest was halted and crops were damaged due to heavy rains across many Prairie growing regions over the Labour Day long weekend, including this durum crop west of Regina, Saskatchewan.
Photo:
Karen Briere
“I was looking at the long range (forecast)… I think over the next 14 days we have one day over 20 degrees.”
Slow in southwestern Manitoba
Around Minto, Man. and the surrounding region, harvest is about two weeks behind normal, said Jake Ayre, who runs Southern Seed, a seed dealer, with his dad Andrew.
Their farm received 40-50 mm of rain over the Labour Day weekend, which will stop harvest for a few days.
The spring wheat harvest is about 50 per cent complete around Minto and almost all of the canola remains in the field.
Spring wheat yields will be lower than 2025, but the bigger concern is high levels of fusarium head blight, a fungal disease, Ayre said.
“With all this humidity and rain, you’re going to see that (quality) deteriorate, unfortunately.”
Back in Yorkton, McNeil is also worried about the quality and consistency of the canola crop.
Canola in many fields is in different stages of development, thus increasing the risk of harvesting green seed.
“One of my big worries is putting this multi-stage canola (seed) in the bin,” he said. “It’s going to be a bit of mess (for some producers).”