Northwest Region Crop Report Prepared by: Manitoba Agriculture
September 24, 2019 |

Northwest Region

There was good harvest weather at the beginning of the week, however heavy thunderstorms and high winds mid-week halted harvest operations.

Swan River area received 4 to 15 mm, The Pas 40 to 60 mm, Roblin 10 mm and around Dauphin/Ste. Rose 25 to 40 mm. Birch River/Benito area received damaging hail. Cloudy wet conditions slowed harvest for the rest of the week but by the weekend, the weather had improved allowing harvest operations to resume in earnest.

The harvest of field peas is complete in the region with reported yields of 40 to 80 bu/ac. The spring wheat crop is ripe in the region and harvest is estimated at 75% complete, 70 to 75% around Swan River, 80% around Roblin, 85 to 90% around Dauphin and 25% at The Pas. Spring wheat yields around Swan River, Roblin and The Pas are in the range of 60 to 90 bu/ac. Additional drying is required with high moisture in some of the wheat crop. Oats and barley are 50% harvested at Swan River and 75% complete at Roblin. The canola crop continues to mature throughout the region and it is either swathed or left standing for straight combining. High winds in some parts of the region resulted in canola swaths being blown around. Progress is being made combining the canola crop with progress around Roblin and Swan River at 35% done and Dauphin 55% complete. Reported yields are in the 45 to 60 bu/ac range. The soybean crop is maturing, 100% of the crop remains standing around Roblin and Swan River, and 10% of soybeans are harvested around Dauphin. Where soil moisture conditions are suitable, post harvest operations have begun on harvested fields.

In between frequent rains, resuming field operations have been a challenge this past week. Straw remains to be baled, and there are still some late seeded annual crops yet to be put up as feed. Producers are still waiting for a killing frost to harvest additional alfalfa where sufficient regrowth to warrant mechanical harvest. In the drier areas around Dauphin and Ste. Rose, severe winter feed shortages are being reported and many producers are looking at
feeding alternative feeds for winter feed supply. Corn silage fields are in the R4 (dough) to R5 (dent) with chopping just beginning in the Dauphin area.

Recent moisture has improved pasture conditions but there are still some producers weaning and culling herd sooner than usual. Rain has helped dugouts but levels remain low.