Alberta seeding ahead of five-year average

MarketsFarm — While spring planting in Alberta is 12.2 per cent complete overall there’s a disparity between the south and the rest of the province. Also, the pace was 2.6 points above the five-year average, but 5.2 behind last year.

As of Tuesday, Alberta Agriculture found seeding in the south was at 36.5 per cent complete, while that in the central region was 5.9 and the rest of the province was 0.1 to 0.6 per cent done.

That’s due to the south being much drier than the rest of Alberta, rated at 31.2 per cent poor, 28.1 fair, 40.3 good and 0.4 excellent. Provincewide, soil moisture levels are 21.7 per cent poor, 28.2 fair, 37.8 good, 11.4 excellent and 0.9 excessive. The Peace River region was the most inundated with at 0.4 per cent poor, 7.5 fair, 27.5 good, 57.2 excellent and 7.4 excessive.

In terms of crops in the ground across Alberta, durum led the way at 52.9 per cent planted, followed by potatoes at 44.8 per cent. Lentils were next at 39.3 per cent, chickpeas 34.4 and dry peas 21.8. The oilseeds and some cereals had slower progress, with mustard at 17.7 per cent complete, barley 13, spring wheat 12.4, flax 11.7, canola 2.3, oats 0.7, and mixed grain 0.5.

Pasture growth across the province was worse off overall when compared to the five-year average. Currently, pastures are 32 per cent poor and 40.8 fair, 25.1 good and 2.1 excellent. The averages are 24.5 per cent poor, 26.7 fair, 44.5 good and 4.3 excellent.