A spokesperson for Marc Hutlet Seeds at Ste. Anne, says this year's soybean harvest in the southeast is proving to be one of the better ones from the last decade.
Ben Signer says weather conditions this summer were nearly ideal for soybean fields. And, though the crop did not grow as tall as expected, Signer says the yields have been outstanding. Many farms have been averaging over 50 bushels per acre, with some peaking in the 60s, which is considerably higher than the provincial average of just over 40 bushels per acre.
"The yields certainly suggest that it's one of the best soybean years that we've had in at least 10 years," he says. "Usually when there is a good yield on soybeans, that's a great indicator for some fantastic grain corn yields coming off as well."
Marc Hutlet adds the rain we received in August contributed to larger beans and better yields.
Manitoba Agriculture is reporting that the soybean harvest is about 65 per cent complete in eastern Manitoba. That is ahead of the provincial average of 50 per cent. Central Manitoba leads the way at 70 per cent. Hutlet suggests that if the weather cooperates, there will not be many beans left to harvest in the southeast by week's end.
Another one of the late-season crops that is reaching the finish line for harvest is silage corn. Hutlet says about 75 per cent of silage corn has now been harvested in the southeast, and, depending on the weather, that harvest might be wrapped up in the next week. He notes those fields are really drying down as a result of the killer frost last week. Hutlet says yields are a little higher than what they were estimating. Manitoba Agriculture says a few corn fields in the northern parts of the eastern region did see some yield penalty from frost terminating the crop before reaching full maturity.
Overall, harvest in eastern Manitoba is about 81 per cent complete, according to Manitoba Agriculture, which is just ahead of the provincial average of 79 per cent complete. That is about two weeks behind the five-year average.
"We have a lot of work to do yet," notes Hutlet. "We will need a couple of weeks of consecutive sunshine somehow to get the rest of the crop off."
Hutlet says there is still a variety of crops left unharvested in this part of the province, including sunflowers, which have not yet been touched and grain corn which just barely started. Signer says they are expecting quite a few corn fields that will yield better than 150 bushels per acre.