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Crossroads This week
F rida y, August 2 1, 2 0 2 6 | Vo lum e 23 N um b e r51 | $1.25 PER COPY ( plus ta x e s) SERVIN G BIRTLE, HAM IOTA, ROSSBURN , RUSSELL, SHOAL LAK E & SURROUN D IN G REGION
CHAMPION HITCH
DAR R E L L N E SBIT T / CR O SSR O ADS T H IS W E E K The glistening polished harness showcased on a hitch of four beautiful prancing Belgian mares owned by NerGEE Belgians out of Olds, AB and driven by Nic Gee, formerly of Virden, captured the Four Horse Hitch Championship on the opening day (July 31) of the two-day Birtle Agricultural Fair.
Harvest p icking up p ace across the region RAC HEAL FLIN TO FT Cro ssro a d s This W e e k
Harvest is underway across southwest Manitoba, with fall rye coming off fields and winter wheat close behind, according to a recent provincial crop report. Manitoba Agriculture’s weekly report shows that a week of cooler weather helped crops ripen faster than expected across the region. Daytime temperatures sat in the mid-20s, with nighttime lows dropping into
the single digits. Spring cereals are ripening quickly under the dry, favourable conditions, and barley producers may start swathing within days. In flood-affected areas of the region, producers are beginning recovery efforts and preparing land for next year while also managing this year’s harvest. Moisture remains tight. The southwest received less than 10 millimetres of rain over the past week, with some areas receiving
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as little as 6.2 millimetres. After a spring marked by unprecedented flooding in parts of Manitoba, conditions across the region have since turned dry. Seasonal precipitation since May 1 is near normal across most of the region, though a few localized areas are running below 80 percent of the 30-year average. Other crops are close behind the cereals. Soybeans are in the R5 to early R6 stage, with the crop looking promising, though produc-
ers say more moisture would help it reach full yield potential. Pea harvest is expected to start this week. Most canola is in the podfilling stage, with some early fields already showing colour change. Corn is in the blister stage, and sunflowers are approaching maturity at roughly R6. On pasture, cattle remain in generally good condition, though forage supplies are starting to thin in some areas and producers are watching for foot rot, pink eye and
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other seasonal health concerns. Local producers also had a chance to get ahead of disease pressure this month. Manitoba Agriculture held a Canola Disease Identification Workshop near Hamiota on Aug. 19, where a field crop pathologist and agronomy specialists walked growers through in-field scouting and identification for canola diseases, including verticillium stripe, a concern that has been spreading in the province.
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