Seeding is advancing quickly in the province thanks to warm, dry weather.  Producers now have 60 per cent of the provincial crop in the ground, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Weekly Crop Report.  The five-year (2012-2016) seeding average for this time of year is 65 per cent.
 
"It's up 30 percent from last week, so we managed to double our progress. We are right on track to where we would normally be," stated Shannon Friesen, a Cropping Management Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
 
Many producers have completed seeding operations while others will need several more weeks of warm, dry weather.  At this time, it is estimated that five per cent of acres will not be seeded due to excess moisture.
 
"Farmers in the south have been lucky enough to have been in the fields for a number of weeks now, and others will need a week or more."
 
Seeding is most advanced in the southeast, where producers have 80 per cent of the crop in the ground.  Seventy-six per cent is seeded in the southwest; 59 per cent in the west-central region; 53 per cent in the east-central region; 43 per cent in the northwest; and 25 per cent in the northeast.
 
"Very little rain was received last week which certainly helped us out quite a bit. However, as a result the top soil moisture is deteriorating in many areas and we could use some precipitation to help some of those crops germinate and emerge," Friesen said.
 
Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 11 per cent surplus, 79 per cent adequate, nine per cent short and one per cent very short.  Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is rated as seven per cent surplus, 76 per cent adequate, 15 per cent short and two per cent very short.
 
The lack of moisture also caused some other issues to sprout.
 
"As we have equipment in the field with dry conditions, the fire risk does increase. It could come from trains, equipment and even trucks in the field."
 
Some showers that have occurred in the latter part of the week have reduced chances somewhat, however, without a lot more moisture the risk remains.