Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food reported yesterday that the province’s 2007 crop is 66 per cent harvested and northern and central regions will need warm, dry weather to advance further.

Harvested acres are up from 56 per cent the previous week and still ahead of the five-year (2002-06) average of 53 per cent, the province noted. About 95 per cent of the crop is off in the province’s southwest, while just 31 per cent has been taken off in the northeast.

Saskatchewan’s winter wheat, fall rye, lentil and pea harvests are over 90 per cent complete. Crops less than 50 per cent harvested include oats, sunflowers, flax and canaryseed, the province said.

Over 60 per cent of the barley crop has been harvested. Of that, crop reporters expect 36 per cent will grade malt, 48 per cent will grade No. 1 CW and the remainder will grade No. 2 CW. They also noted some concerns regarding light bushel weight and staining.

Frost and wind caused most of the crop damage reported during the week ending Sept. 16, the province said. Green crops still remaining, mostly in the northern grain belt, were hardest hit by the frost.