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Manitoba and Saskatchewan farmers deal with unsettled weather

Jun 19, 2025 | 11:50 AM

With spring seeding now considered complete, growers are watching the skies as they attempt to get some other jobs done.

Manitoba is reporting optimal moisture and crops are looking good, according to cereal crop specialist Anne Kirk.

“We did see variable rainfall accumulations in all parts of the province over the past week, we did have isolated rainfall. The amounts of rainfall ranged from about zero millimeters to a maximum of about 16 millimeters (mm) and that was in The Pas so it was spotty rain across the province,” she said.

In terms of soil moisture, Kirk said the zero-to-30-centimeter zone in the majority of the province is still listed as optimum, but parts of the Interlake and northwest are listed as dry to very dry.

Kirk said the crops are looking fairly good across the province, and are holding out quite well.

“We had seen some weather-related damage, some frost in canola and corn and some wind related damage,” she said. “For the most part those crops will be growing out of that damage and aren’t expect to see lasting effects.”

Kirk said some canola was reseeded because of wind and frost.

In Saskatchewan, producers are busy with in-field spraying and other activities such as hauling grain. Good general rain is needed to help push crop development and ensure the crop doesn’t begin to deteriorate in condition.

There were isolated showers over the past week with some areas seeing heavy rain and hail. While the moisture was welcome, the intensity of these storms left some crops damaged. The most rainfall reported over the week was in the Meadow Lake area which received 64 mm. Other heavy rainfall amounts were reported in the Coleville area with 46 mm, the Bruno area at 40 mm and the Prince Albert area with 31 mm. Many other areas of the province received small spotty rains ranging between two to 10 mm, while others were fortunate enough to get upwards of 20 to 30 mm over the week. Even with the rainfall over the past week, topsoil moisture conditions continue to decline provincially.

Fall seeded crops in later development stages were heavily impacted and are unlikely to recover, but less advanced crops should be able to bounce back.

Producers will continue to scout and apply crop protection products, when weather conditions allow.

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com