Harvesting of grain and oilseed crops are progressing along well in the Weyburn area, with approximately 50 per cent of the harvest done in this district, but the yields are not what many producers were hoping for.

In some cases, where fields were in the right location and the crops were seeded at the right time, the yield and quality has been quite good, said extension agrologist Elaine Moats, but in many cases the yields are varying widely, from next to nothing up to 40 bushels an acre.

With the overall harvest about half done, peas are about 95 per cent complete, lentils are close to 80 per cent, and work is well underway on wheat and durum, which comprises the bulk of the crops in this area, said Moats.

"It's probably one of the more relaxed harvests people have had in many years. With the crops maturing at different dates, there's not the pressure to run long hours. Generally people have been able to combine during the dry daylight hours and shut down relatively early," she said.

Peas have been generally pretty good for yield and quality, said Moats, but lentils have seen quite a bit of damage from grasshoppers. Canola and mustard crops have been disappointing with generally poor grade and poor yield for these crops.

For the cereal crops, the colour is excellent while the yield has been variable around the Weyburn region.

"The appearance and colour of grain is good, it's just light on bushel weight. The milling quality isn't damaged the way it is with frost and disease. It may be more significant for barley where lightweight barley may be discounted," said Moats.

In the Pangman area, Debbie Kessler reported that her husband Tom had to have five fields north of their farm written off due to drought and grasshoppers, while fields closer to Pangman with barley and spring wheat are being harvested and they are not too bad.

In the area, Kessler said many producers "are discouraged and disappointed, after it looked so promising in the spring. The only good thing is we're all in the same boat."

Up in the Corning area, producer Cecilia Olver said the harvest is around 60 per cent completed, with good quality being reported but yields are down. She said yields are down at least 25 per cent, with sawflies causing extensive damage in wheat crops.

She said 100 per cent of peas and lentils are off, with a lot of flax and canola yet to do. Due to the heat, the expected yield for canola crops have gone down considerably.

Hay and pasture lands, meanwhile, are very dry, and a few producers who have private pasture land are beginning to feed their cattle, said Moats. As producers will likely need to hang on to their calves for a longer-than-expected period this fall and winter due to the BSE crisis, feed grains are going to be needed.

Moats said most producers seem to be finding a reasonable supply with some hay changing hands.