Manitoba Harvest Reaches 11% Complete 

Manitoba’s harvest made just moderate progress during the final week of August, as weekend thunderstorms and heavy rain brought fieldwork to a temporary halt in some areas. 

Tuesday's weekly provincial crop report showed 11% of crops harvested as of Aug. 31, up from just 4% a week earlier. Progress was fastest in the Central Region at 20% complete, followed by the Interlake at 16%, Southwest at 7%, Eastern at 5% and Northwest at 3%. 

Field pea harvest posted the largest week-over-week advance, jumping to 64% complete from 24%. Barley harvest increased to 26% from 7%, spring wheat to 21% from 7%, and oats to 12% from 7%. Canola harvest remained in its early stages at 5% complete, versus 2% the previous week. 

Winter cereals are rapidly approaching completion. Fall rye harvest reached 92%, up from 66% a week earlier, while winter wheat advanced to 86% from 66%. Winter cereal yields in the Central and Eastern regions have generally been slightly below average to average. 

Spring cereal harvesting is now underway in most areas, with desiccation and swathing continuing as crops mature. Early spring cereal yields in the Central, Eastern and Interlake regions have ranged from below average to average, although some better results have been reported in drier fields. 

Canola is largely at the seed-colour-change stage, with significant acreage being swathed or desiccated. Soybeans range from R5 to R7, while corn is generally between late milk and early dough. 

Weather remained highly variable. Large areas of the Northwest, Southwest and Interlake have received more than 300 mm of precipitation since May 1, with seasonal totals above normal through much of the Northwest and Southwest. Heavy thunderstorms struck parts of Manitoba late Aug. 30 into Aug. 31, including a confirmed tornado near Elkhorn.  

SOUTHWEST 

• Regional harvest reached 7%, up from 2% a week earlier.  

• Field peas are about 70–75% complete, with average to above-average yields and good quality.  

• Spring wheat is 10–15% harvested, while barley is roughly 25–30% complete; early yields are above average.  

• Winter wheat is about 80% complete and fall rye about 90%, both producing average yields and good quality.  

• Canola swathing is underway, with most fields at or beyond 50% seed colour change; lodging could complicate harvest.  

• Heavy thunderstorms and downpours struck the region, with a tornado near Elkhorn causing structural damage. High humidity and damp mornings have also increased grain-drying requirements.  

NORTHWEST 

• Regional harvest advanced to 3% from 1%.  

• Winter wheat and fall rye are approximately 80% harvested.  

• About 5% of spring wheat is harvested, with most remaining fields in hard dough.  

• Field pea harvest is roughly 10–15% complete, with early yields below average.  

• Canola swathing and desiccation continue, although excess-moisture areas have patches of delayed crop development.  

• Heavy weekend rain returned standing water to fields, with Minitonas and San Clara recording 71.6 mm in 24 hours.  

CENTRAL 

• The Central Region leads Manitoba at 20% harvested, up sharply from 9% a week earlier.  

• Winter wheat and fall rye harvest are complete.  

• Spring wheat is 35% complete, barley 35%, oats 20%, field peas 95% and canola 15%.  

• Spring wheat yields and protein are average to good, while barley yields are slightly above average; oat test weights are lower than normal.  

• Canola harvest and swathing continue, with sclerotinia, verticillium stripe and some pre-harvest sprouting reported.  

• Dry weather allowed rapid harvest progress before Sunday rainfall, which benefited corn and soybeans. Heavy dews continue to increase drying requirements.  

EASTERN 

• Regional harvest remains at 5%, unchanged from the previous week.  

• Winter wheat and fall rye are about 95% complete, with slightly below-average yields.  

• Spring cereal yields have generally been average at best, with earlier drowned-out areas reducing overall results.  

• Canola harvest has started, with roughly 5–10% complete and early yields well below average.  

• Corn is in the dough to early dent stage, while soybeans are around R6 and beginning to change colour.  

• Rainfall ranged from 0 to 14.1 mm, benefiting long-season crops but temporarily slowing harvest.  

INTERLAKE 

• Regional harvest jumped to 16% from 2% a week earlier.  

• Winter wheat and fall rye are roughly 95% complete, with results ranging from above average to below average depending on flooding.  

• Spring wheat is about 35% harvested, with yields below average in wet fields but above average in drier areas.  

• Oat harvest is progressing, while pea harvest is around 60% complete in some areas with slightly above-average yields.  

• Canola swathing and desiccation are advancing, and harvest has just begun at about 5% complete.  

• Weekend rain briefly stopped harvest. Crop performance remains highly variable because of earlier flooding and uneven rainfall, although late-season moisture is helping soybeans.