Farmers near Yorkton are dealing with soggy fields and stalled crop growth after the Foam Lake area absorbed 110 millimetres of rain last week, the heaviest anywhere in Saskatchewan. The downpour has left many east-central fields too wet to spray or work, and today marks the first day of a costly late penalty period for producers who still need to file unseeded acreage claims.
The latest provincial crop report shows that 42 per cent of cropland in the east-central region now has surplus topsoil moisture, more than double the 20 per cent provincial average. That excess water, along with cool, cloudy weather, has kept sprayers out of the fields and pushed crop development well behind schedule. Half of spring cereals and 58 per cent of oilseeds in the region are reported behind their normal growth stage for this time of year.
Seeding is 96 per cent complete in the area, but 8 per cent of the land that would normally be planted this spring went unseeded because of excess moisture. That is more than double the provincial rate of 3 per cent. Producers who could not get seed into the ground are being reminded that the main deadline for Unseeded Acreage claims through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation was June 25. Claims submitted from June 26 through July 2 will face a 25 per cent penalty, up to a maximum of $1,000 per claim. After July 2, claims may be denied entirely.
The unseeded acreage benefit is part of multi-peril crop insurance and pays $50, $75, $100, or $125 per eligible acre, depending on the coverage level a producer chose. Farmers with questions about their crop insurance or how to manage damage from the heavy rain can call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.
