canola swath

In recent years, farmers have been in a battle with Mother Nature.  Flooding in the spring, constant rain in the summer and then an early frost.  It has caused a lot of anxiety.  But this year has been a drastic change and, if you ask most farmers, it's most welcome.

Southern Saskatchewan producers are approaching 70 per cent done with harvest, according to the latest Crop Report from Saskatchewan Agriculture.  Nice weather and a lack of rain has allowed the combines to roll for nearly a month straight in some areas. If it keeps up, a lot of farmers could have the harvest equipment put away in time for Thanksgiving.

"Certainly in this part of the world, guys would like to be done before Thanksgiving." said Crop Management Specialist Grant McLean. "We usually have the lion's share of the harvest done in September before we start getting the cooler and shorter harvest days."

Up north, the story isn't nearly as rosy.  About 20% of the crop has been cut so far and with the nights getting colder, there have been a few reports of overnight lows hitting zero.

While the crops are looking good, canola has been hit by insects and disease, causing yields to drop.  A record 11.1 million acres of canola was planted this year in Saskatchewan.