Winter cereal harvest has started in the Westman region and it won’t be many weeks before harvest is in full swing for the spring seeded crops.

Over the past week overnight low temperatures across the region were cooler, while daytime highs reach 30°C. Provincial agriculture officials report that much of the region received a good, timely rain on Monday, which will help with yield in later-season soybeans and corn.

Jake Ayre farms near Minto and he’s pleased with how crops have progressed and how they’re looking as of mid August. “On our farm we’ve been pleasantly surprised. Our biggest factor is moisture and we received moisture this year unlike last year so it’s amazing what water can do.”

“Our crops made up on the time but we were down on our acres. We finished about 10 per cent down on our acre average compared to last year. That was due to the drowned out spots and some are still under water. We’re in pot hole country and that’s par for the course as we always expect to loose a little bit to drown out but the hill tops make up for it.”

Pivot irrigation is ongoing in potatoes and some other crops where infrastructure allows. Harvest has started on winter cereals, and pre-harvest application has started on some early seeded oats. Crops look very good overall, despite areas of fields that had previously drowned-out, remaining stands are doing well.

“We’ll be harvesting some winter wheat and after that we’ll be sitting for a week or two after that” said Ayre.

He adds they’ll keep busy scouting crops looking for bugs