Saskatchewan Agriculture’s latest crop report shows five percent of the provincial crop is now in the bin with another nine percent swathed or ready to straight cut. 

Harvest is most advanced in the southwest, where ten percent of the crop has been combined, and thirteen percent of the crop swathed or ready to straight-cut.

Crops Extension Specialist Shannon Friesen says yield reports are down which isn’t a surprise since we haven’t had the moisture to sustain a high yielding crop.

"What we heard so far is quality is good to excellent, which of course is no surprise seeing as how we really haven't had much rain and we do have little impact from insects and disease this year.  Certainly, when it comes to yield, however, you know things vary greatly right across the board anywhere from about average to well below is what we're hearing so far."

Friesen says the last couple of weeks of extreme temperatures are expected to take a toll on crops as well.

"So in some cases, we may actually see some shrunken and wrinkled seeds. In others of course, if the crop was drying really rapidly and the producer wasn't able to get out there in time,  we may see some shelling out of those pulse crops as well as canola.

"She notes there have been some reports of grasshoppers, as well as stubble and combine fires in drier areas. A reminder for farmers to make safety a high priority while working on the harvest; and for motorists to take care and have patience with the large equipment now out on the roadways.