The hot and dry weather reported across the province in the past week has been causing crops to advance through their developmental stages quickly. It is also causing some concerns when it comes to the topsoil moisture conditions in both cropland and pasture and hay land.  

In the weekly crop report from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, it was reported 36 percent of fall cereals, 29 percent of spring cereals, 25 percent of oilseed crops and 30 percent of pulse crops are ahead of their normal stages of development. The heat and dry conditions are causing crops to be short, thin and advancing too quickly. This could see yields and quality severely impacted without significant rainfall. 

The topsoil moisture levels have deteriorated across the province. For cropland topsoil moisture, it is rated 14 percent adequate and 86 percent short or very short. Hay and pasture land is rated nine percent adequate and 91 percent short of very short. 

When it comes to haying operations, livestock producers now have 16 percent of the crop cut with 39 percent baled or in silage. The quality for the hay crop is rated four percent excellent, 48 percent good, 33 percent fair and 15 percent poor.  

Crop damage reported in the past week was a result of the dry conditions, hot temperatures, wind, grasshoppers and hail storms that passed across the province.