LM Times Oct 7 2019

Last Mountain Times • Monday, October 7, 2019 • lmtimes.ca
9
Crop Report
for the period Sept. 24 to 30, 2019
According to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s
Weekly Crop Report 47 per cent of the crop is
now combined, up from 39 per cent last week.
An early-winter storm slowed down most harvest
operations in the province; however, producers
were able to make some progress before the
storm hit. The five-year (2014-18) average is 75
per cent combined for this time of year.
Thirty-four per cent of the crop is swathed or
ready to straight-cut. Much of the crop harvested
so far is tough and is being put into grain dryers
and aeration bins. Farmers will need several
weeks of warm and dry weather to get the crop
off.
Harvest is most advanced in the southwest
region, where 68 per cent of the crop is now
combined. The northeast region has 50 per cent
combined and the southeast region 46 per cent.
The west-central region has 46 per cent combined,
the northwest region 34 per cent and the
east-central region 33 per cent.
Ninety-four per cent of field peas, 91 per cent of
lentils, 68 per cent of barley, 58 per cent of mustard,
57 per cent of durum, 46 per cent
of canary seed, 44 per cent of spring
wheat, 37 per cent of chickpeas and 24
per cent of canola is now in the bin. An
additional 62 per cent of canola and 17
per cent of mustard is swathed or ready
to straight-cut.
Most areas of the province received significant
precipitation last week. The Admiral area
reported 103 mm, while the Moose Jaw area
received up to 60 mm. Although the moisture
further delays harvest, it helps topsoil moisture
conditions.
Across the province, topsoil moisture conditions
on cropland are rated as 31 per cent
surplus, 65 per cent adequate and four per cent
short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture is
rated as 20 per cent surplus, 72 per cent adequate,
seven per cent short and one per cent very
short.
The majority of crop damage this past week
was due to hail, strong winds, lodging, localized
flooding and frost. There continues to be many
reports of crops sprouting, bleaching and staining
and downgrading is expected. Geese and
wildlife are also feeding on swathed crops and
causing damage. Farmers are busy drying grain
and waiting for the weather to improve so they
can continue with harvest operations.
-Sask. Agriculture
Land values
If anyone is still under the illusion that farming
is anything other than big business these days a
single farm for sale in Manitoba should exhibit
one of the current reality.
What is being described
AG NOTES
CALVIN DANIELS
as the “largest land package
in Canada is for sale on the
Prairies” in a Western Producer
article rather clearly
illustrates how Prairie farms
in Canada have been trending
to ever-larger operations.
The land, located near The
Pas, Man., features 23,800
acres, just over 37 sections,
for cultivation and is going
for $53.3 million. That would mean winning one
of the largest lotto wins in Canadian history, and
signing it all over to make the purchase, and then
still needing money to operate farm. It is suggested
in the article the price tag is reasonable, given
it’s going for about $1,640 an acre. In Saskatchewan,
the article suggests prices can range from
$2,000 to $3,500 per acre, while Alberta can see
land go for $2,500 to $6,500 an acre.
If one extrapolates a mid-value price in Saskatchewan
a quarter section is going to fetch
about $400,000, give, or take a few thousand.
For anyone not sure what a quarter section of
land is, it encompasses 160-acres, which is the
size of the plot of land the early immigrants to
Western Canada were given, if they met certain
provisions.
Certainly there are successful smaller producers,
but even a farmer on a half section doing
some niched farming to generate returns has
a land base valued at near three-quarters of a
million dollars, and then requires machinery,
grain storage and other farm elements pushing
the investment nearer one million.
Of course machinery is the other side of the
coin in terms of farming being very big business
these days. A new four-wheel drive tractor or new
combine will each take huge bites out of a million
dollars before it is rolling around a field.
We often look at new small businesses popping
up in a community with a certain amount of awe
based on the individual taking the risk of investment
in establishing the storefront.
But a farmer driving a new tractor off the lot is
barely noticed although the investment in that
single tractor is likely to be as large as many
smaller business developments.
Farms are now very big business. The size
of farms has generally trended larger in major
dryland farming areas around the world since
the end of the First World War, and when land
prices spike higher that increases farm values.
When land values climb machinery tends to rise
in value as well.
There is a great cost to growing the world’s
food, although often that fact seems to be lost for
many.
- Calvin Daniels
Disclaimer: opinions expressed
are those of the writer.
NOTICE OF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF LUMSDEN NO. 189
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the office of:
COUNCILLOR - DIVISION NUMBER: 2
will be received by the undersigned from October 7-23, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. until
4:00 p.m. at the Lumsden Municipal Office located at 300 James Street North
in Lumsden, SK.
Nomination forms may be obtained from the following locations:
Lumsden Municipal Office
300 James Street North
Lumsden, SK
or Email: rm189@sasktel.net
or The municipality’s website: www.lumsden.ca
Dated this 7th day of October, 2019.
Monica M. Merkosky
Returning Officer