Estevan

Prairie farmers may have to contend with rust this year, a disease that can significantly impact crop yields.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, explains that rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June.

The Estevan Police Service responded to several calls for service on May 29.

Officers were dispatched to a report of a domestic disturbance occurring in the street in a central Estevan neighbourhood. They were unable to locate the source of the disturbance but found a large family gathering taking place outside. Attendees admitted to being loud. No further police involvement was required.

The Estevan Viragos are back in action this weekend as they host the Yorkton Lady Gridders for their first exhibition game of the spring season.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Chow Field, just south of Estevan.

The game will serve as an important opportunity for the team’s many new players to get a feel for live football after weeks of practice and development. Head coach Matthew McGillivray said it’s all about giving the girls real-game experience in a lower-pressure setting.

With a State of Emergency in Saskatchewan thanks to a large number of northern wildfires, it's likely we'll see some smoke in the air in the southeast soon. In the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency's latest release, they stated that 17 wildfires are currently ongoing, with over 200 confirmed year-to-date.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Danielle Desjardins talks about when we can expect the smoke to hit the southeast.

Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert 

Rain has become a rarity in Nipawin, Sask.

In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.

It’s a similar story across the northern agricultural region of Saskatchewan. There’s been almost no rain this spring in Hudson Bay, Carrot River and Prince Albert.

The department says producer engagement, field demonstrations and making data available online are expected of its researchers

Agriculture Canada employs about 380 scientists at its 20 research centres across the country.

Their job?

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Seed n Feed 2025 officially wrapped up today, with the final lunch delivery made to Adams Farms near Outram.

Marlene Adams said seeding is nearly complete, though it has been delayed slightly due to wet soil conditions. She said they’re hoping to finish by the weekend, with just one more good day needed once the ground dries out.

This week has seen significant fluctuations in the commodity markets, particularly in wheat and canola prices. Following the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, wheat prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, falling by $10 to $15 per tonne.

Farmers have been making good progress in the field; so far 88 per cent of the provincial crop in the ground. 

According to Saskatchewan's weekly crop report seeding is most advanced in the southwest at 95 per cent, followed by the west-central region at 94 per cent, the northwest at 93, the northeast at 92, the east central at 81, and the southeast at 80 per cent seeded.

The Estevan Motor Speedway is back on track following a cancellation during their last race day, with Saturday set to hold a number of races. President Brad Pierson says they're getting back in action with plenty of competitors heading to the track this weekend.

"We have all five classes this weekend. On top of that, MNP is our race night sponsor. It's also our first responder night, where if you're a first responder of any of our local police, fire, or ambulance, you get in free for this one."