It's been another dry year for farmers in Southern Alberta.

Crop Specialist at the Ag Info Centre, Mark Cutts, says even last Sunday night's rain seen in areas of Central and Southern Alberta won't help this year's crop yields.

"The yields been set, the plants are just drying down now, so at this point in time, the moisture in terms of what they're harvesting for this year will be minimal, but to get into the soil is not a bad thing. There's lots of areas of the province with low soil moisture situations, so anytime we get some rain and get those soil reserves built up is a good thing."

The latest Alberta Agriculture and Forestry crop report shows about 39 per cent of dryland crops are in good, or excellent, condition in Southern Alberta.

This is well below the five year average of about 63 per cent.

Cutts says, as usual, Southern Alberta is leading the charge in harvest progress.

"The South is progressing, they're close to the five year average. Other areas of the province are basically just getting started, so it's still very early in the entire process of harvesting for 2018."

Also, livestock producers may have a harder time finding hay this year.

There's potential for some second cut hay to be put up in different areas of the province, Cutt says.

"When you get up into the Northeast and the Northwest, and even up into the Peace area, I think the moisture there has been sufficient that we'll see some second cut hay coming off of those areas."

Cutts says, he'd be very surprised if there was much of a second cut on dryland hay crops in Southern Alberta.

The crop report shows irrigated second cut hay yields in Southern Alberta are estimated to be 1.9 tons per acre.

 

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