Manitoba farmers are closing in on the finish line of harvest, with provincial progress now sitting at 79 per cent complete as of October 14.
Recent rainfall brought much-needed moisture to some areas but also temporarily halted fieldwork. Most of southern Manitoba received between 10 and 30 millimetres of rain over the past week, with Cartwright recording the highest total at 31.3 millimetres. Portions of the Interlake and Northwest regions saw less than five millimetres.
Harvest remains most advanced in the Central Region at 92 per cent complete, while the Northwest sits at 72 per cent. Spring wheat, barley, oats and peas are largely wrapped up across the province, while canola harvest has reached 86 per cent completion. Soybeans are 61 per cent harvested and grain corn remains one of the latest crops in the field at just 12 per cent complete provincially.
Many producers made significant progress during a stretch of favourable weather by harvesting silage corn, baling hay, hauling straw and completing other fall fieldwork. However, wet conditions and strong winds have created challenges in some canola fields, with reports of lodging, pod shatter and sprouting.
Crop quality has also become a concern in some later-harvested cereal fields. While yields are generally average across Manitoba, excessive moisture has resulted in downgrades due to sprouting and weathering in some areas.
Livestock producers continue to benefit from abundant forage supplies, allowing cattle to remain on pasture longer than usual. Many producers have begun weaning calves and moving larger numbers to auction marts as preparations for winter feeding get underway.
