Saskatchewan crop conditions generally weakened through the first half of June but remain strong overall.
Thursday’s crop report pegged the Saskatchewan canola crop at 76% good to excellent as of Monday, down 13 points from the province’s initial 2026 rating of 89% on June 1.
Spring wheat was rated 82% good to excellent as of Monday, down from 90% on June 1. Durum slipped just 1 point to 89%, while winter wheat fell 6 points to 79%. Conditions also deteriorated for most feed grains. Oats declined 8 points to 80% good to excellent, and barley dropped 6 points to 83%.
Among pulse and specialty crops, peas fell 6 points to 85% good to excellent, while chickpeas declined 3 points to 93%. Mustard dropped 4 points to 88%, and soybeans were down 6 points to 70%. Flax was unchanged at 87%, and lentils were down 9 points at 86%.
Canaryseed was one of the few crops to improve, edging up 1 point to 88% good to excellent.
Saskatchewan seeding advanced slowly over the past week, hitting 97% complete as of Monday, up from 93% the previous week, amid repeated rainfall and excess moisture in parts of the province.
Progress remains slightly behind both the five- and 10-year average of 99%, but planting is nearing completion across most regions. The west-central and southwest regions are the most advanced at 99% complete, followed by the southeast and northern regions at 98%. The east-central region continues to lag at 90%.
Provincially, producers made good progress with oilseeds and perennial forages, while pulse crop seeding advanced more slowly. Planting is nearly finished for several major crops, including field peas, lentils, spring wheat and durum.
Rainfall totals varied widely during the reporting period. Some areas received no precipitation, while the RM of Lipton recorded 90 mm. The Langenburg region received 78 mm and the Elfros area reported 74 mm.
Topsoil moisture conditions were largely stable, although surplus moisture increased in some areas following the latest rainfall. Cropland topsoil moisture was rated 15% surplus, 74% adequate, 10% short and 1% very short.
Crop development remains uneven because of varying rainfall and growing conditions since the start of the season. Most crops are progressing at a normal rate, but a notable share remains behind its expected development stage.
Flooding, gophers and strong winds caused crop damage during the week, while minor insect pressure from pests such as flea beetles was also reported.
With seeding nearly complete in most regions, producers are turning their attention to in-crop herbicide applications and field scouting. Monitoring for insects and disease is becoming an increasing priority as crops emerge and move through their early growth stages.
Southeast:
Rainfall was reported across the region with some areas receiving significant amounts. The areas that reported the highest amounts included the Lipton area with 90 millimetres (mm), followed by the Langenburg area with 78 mm. The Griffin area received 65 mm and 50 mm in the RM of Fertile Belt. Though the amount of rainfall in this region was not as much as reported the week prior, it was still enough to increase the number of acres with surplus topsoil moisture. Given this rainfall was not evenly distributed across the entire region, there are still some areas that continue to experience short or very short topsoil moisture conditions.
While the majority of crop conditions in the region are rated as fair to good, a notable proportion is rated as excellent, indicating strong overall crop health in the region. Despite this overall positive crop health, a few are rated as being in poor condition. With wet and cool conditions slowing crop development, producers are hoping for some warming in the coming days to help.
Southwest:
Rainfall varied throughout the region. While some areas in the region did not receive any rainfall, the Stonehenge area had the largest amount with 28 millimetres (mm) of rainfall, followed closely by the Grassy Creek area with 27 mm and 25 mm in the Arlington region. The rainfall received in the area was enough to maintain adequate amounts of topsoil moisture in the region.
Majority of crop conditions in the region are rated as good, with a notable proportion rated as fair and excellent. A few are also rated as being in poor condition. Minor crop damage was reported in the region this week due to wind, with gophers causing minor and, in some cases, severe damage. Minor damage from localized flooding, heat stress and hail have also been reported. Minor to moderate insect damage from flea beetles was also reported in the region.
East-central:
Rainfall varied across the region. The Elfros area received the highest rainfall of 74 millimetres (mm), followed by the Rudy region with 65 mm and both Mount Hope and the Wreford areas receiving 63 mm of rainfall. Topsoil moisture in the region is mostly rated as adequate with a fair amount being surplus. Given this rainfall was not evenly distributed across the entire region, there are still some areas that are short topsoil moisture, but none reported very short topsoil moisture.
Most of the crops in the region are rated as fair to excellent, with the majority of them being rated as being in good condition. With wet and cool conditions slowing crop development, producers are hoping for some warming in the coming days to enhance development and condition. Minor to severe crop damage was reported in the region this week due to flooding, wind and gophers. Minor hail damage was also reported in some areas. In addition, some minor insect damage to crops from flea beetles and cutworms were also reported in the region.
West-Central:
Rainfall was variable in the region, with most areas not receiving any rainfall. The Milton area received the highest amount of rainfall with 27 millimetres (mm) in the region, followed by the Prairiedale region with 24 mm.
Most of the crop conditions in the region are rated as fair to excellent, with none rated to be in poor or very poor condition. Minor crop damage was reported in the region this week due to wind and dry soil conditions. Minor insect damage from flea beetles, cutworms and pea leaf weevils were also reported in the region.
Northeast:
Rainfall varied in the region with the Hudson Bay area receiving the highest amount at 40 millimetres (mm), followed by the Bayne area with 29 mm.
The majority of crop conditions in the region are rated as fair to good, with a notable proportion rated as excellent. Producers have attributed these crop conditions to relatively good growing conditions with some of the later seeded crops now emerging.
Northwest:
Rainfall varied in the region with the Blaine Lake area receiving the highest amount at 12 millimetres (mm), followed closely by the Britannia area with 11 mm and Meadow Lake with 10 mm.
The majority of crop conditions in the region are rated as good to excellent, indicating strong overall crop health in the region. Minor crop damage was reported in the region this week due to wind and flooding. Gophers are reported to have caused minor to moderate damage. Additionally, minor to moderate insect damage from flea beetles and root rot disease were also reported in the region.
