By Alice McFarlane

Spotty showers help with Saskatchewan crop development

Jun 26, 2025 | 12:19 PM

Rain in recent days was a welcome sight, especially for some of the drier areas of the province, but severe weather caused crop damage.

The latest crop report from the Ministry of Agriculture noted some regions received limited rainfall and others experienced heavy storms resulting in damage to crops. The extent of damage varies based on the type of crop and its developmental stage.

The northwest region received limited rainfall while west-central and pockets in other regions received significant rainfall. The Macklin area received the highest amount at 108 millimeters.

Kim Stonehouse is the Crops Extension Specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture in Tisdale, Sask.

“Conditions were a little bit variable over the week. You know some regions received kind of limited rainfall, while others experienced some heavier rainfall and some heavy storms that brought winds, significant rain and hail,” he said.

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The cloudy and wet conditions led to cooler temperatures, which slowed crop development. Stonehouse said for most crops it won’t be a big deal.

“It actually is causing them to fill out more and potentially have a higher yield potential. Oilseed crops are the furthest behind right now for the normal stages of development at this time of year,” he said. “Crops in the Southwest region of the province are the furthest advanced, while crops in the East Central region and Northeast regions are the furthest behind in development. Warmer temperatures and continued precipitation are needed to help crop development progress.”

Stonehouse said there’s growing concern among livestock producers about dugout water levels.

“There are some producers that are concerned about the water supply right now…one per cent of the livestock water supplies are severely short, 21 per cent are moderately short, 23 per cent are anticipated to be short within the next couple of months and 55 per cent are not expected to be short. So, when asking producers if they were concerned about it, we found that 79 per cent indicated they aren’t concerned, while 21 per cent said they are concerned.”

It’s now “go time” for haying season.

“Haying season is just starting to get underway. Of course, the rain in most areas is going to delay that a little bit and it may not get into full swing until we get into July, but they’re gearing up and getting ready to go,” Stonehouse said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com