Farmers continue to make progress with seeding the 2023 crop but are still slightly behind their five-year average.  

In the most recent crop report, released by the provincial Ministry of Agriculture, farmers in the southeast indicated they had 94 percent of the crop in the ground. This was up from 80 percent the previous week, and just behind the five-year average of 97 percent.  

The recent rains have been a blessing and a curse in some areas. Localized heavy rains did result in some low-lying areas being drowned out, preventing seeding in those areas. The warm weather and moisture, though, have helped the progress of the crop in the ground in other areas, with many reports that the crops are looking good.  

Rain was a very common theme throughout the region, with the Narquis area receiving the most – 62 millimetres. The Avonlea area received 40 mm, Grenfell 24 mm and Frobisher 20 mm. Weyburn itself received 7.5 mm, but some of the areas right outside of the city received substantially more.  

In terms of topsoil moisture, cropland is rated as seven percent surplus, 89 percent adequate and four percent short. Hay and pasture land are reported as two percent surplus, 89 adequate and nine percent short.  

The crop progress has also been reported as fairly good, with 10 percent of the fall cereal crops in the jointing stage, and another 26 percent in the shot blade stage. Twenty-seven percent of the spring cereals are tillering, with 46 percent of canola and mustard emerging. Another 32 percent of the canola and mustard crop is in the seedling stage, as is 39 percent of flax. For the pulse crops, 59 percent are emerging and 43 percent are in the vegetative stage.  

There was some crop damage reported during the week. Most of the damage reported was the localized flooding in some areas due to the heavy rains. There was also some crop damage reported due to grasshoppers.