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Manitoba livestock producers take advantage of good fall weather

Oct 21, 2026 | 3:44 PM

The Manitoba harvest is at 86 per cent complete during the week ended Oct. 20. 

There are some areas lagging behind with the northwest region at only 77 per cent, and the southwest region is 78 per cent done. 

Manitoba Agriculture Applied Research and Production Specialist James Frey said there could be an uptick in winter cereal acres this fall, due to wet conditions this spring, that saw some fields go unseeded. 

“I don’t know any confirmed numbers on that, but I do expect that there probably will be a bit of a boost,” Frey said. 

Livestock producers in northwest Manitoba are also having a busy fall. Frey said some cow calf pairs are still on pasture. Spring-born calves are moving to the market. 

“The animals that have been coming home, there’s been a lot of preg checking going on for those,” he said.  

After the rain last week, livestock pens are starting to dry out. Manure applications are still going on. Frey said a lot of that has happened in anticipation of bringing animals home.  

“Where forage has been stockpiled and some rotational grazing has occurred, there are still some pastures out there with quite a bit to eat. There is probably some late season grazing planned there.”  

Corn silage is nearing an end, and some late hay is still being put up, especially where there had been a bit of regrowth for alfalfa.  

Frey said there should be plenty of feed for this winter.  

“This year has been, despite all of the wrinkles and strange weather that we’ve had, lots of moisture for forage growth,” he said. “We’ve had some decent heat, and I think overall we do see that there has been good forage production.” 

Frey is hopeful more harvest progress can be made this week, as good weather is expected, until at least Friday.   

“I think that’ll be the hope and maybe November will be kind to us as well. Maybe we’ll get another month of this,” he added. 

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com