Saskatchewan farmers made a blip on the screen for seeding progress this week, with less than half a per cent of the 2000 crop in the ground.

Most of the progress has been made in the southwestern part of the province, where planting is one per cent finished. Crop reporters in the southeast indicate minimal progress as pre-seeding work - including fertilizer and chemical application, tillage and rock picking - continues with the advent of warm, dry weather.

Crops that are prompting the most activity have been field peas, canola, spring rye, chickpeas, durum and barley. Fall-seeded crops, especially rye, are popping up in fields in the southeast and look like they are off to a good start. Warm soil temperatures have caused grass to start to green and weeds begin to show.

Insects aren't a factor yet for the southeast, although grasshopper nymphs are out on native grass in the southwest and will continue to thrive with the warm, dry weather. Gophers are also coming out in abundance in the southwest and winds have been blowing topsoil around in areas south of Assiniboia.

Topsoil moisture conditions rate as good on about 45 per cent of crop land in the southern grain belt. Poor topsoil moisture conditions are being reported on land near the U.S. border. Only trace amounts of rain were recorded in the Weyburn crop district in the past week.

Just one-third of hay and pasture land in the southern grainbelt is reported as having good moisture levels. Farmers indicate more rain would be welcome, particularly for hay and pasture land, as they get ready to move their stock onto spring pastures where there could be a concern for grass and water supplies.
Canada-wide seeding stats

As spring seeding gears up for another season, an annual survey of seeding intentions by Statistics Canada shows Saskatchewan farmers will plant their smallest wheat crop in 30 years.

Farmers have reduced their spring wheat acres by 16 per cent to 9.1 million - the lowest amount of spring wheat acres since 1970.

A glut on the world oilseed market has caused a drop in canola acres in Saskatchewan by 18 per cent, to 5.4 million acres. Flax intentions also dropped 900,000 acres.

While spring wheat is at a 30-year low, barley acres will hit a 30-year high, up 28 per cent to 5.5 million acres. The optimism is for malt barley, which is in high demand and expected to increase in price.

Durum acres also took a big jump up 39 per cent to five million, due largely to market indications that the U.S. durum crop will be poor this year.