Saskatchewan harvest faces higher costs and delays

Saskatchewan farmers are finally getting more of their crop off the field, but they are doing it with higher costs and less time.

Like many producers, harvest is well behind at Jared Haight’s operation near Hanley.

But it’s not just the wet weather creating challenges. The much higher cost of diesel means serious risk to this year’s bottom line.

Wet weather has meant many farmers across the province are just getting their combines out this harvest. And with the sun finally shining again, Jared Haight is relieved to be back in the field.

“It’s been a different fall. Down here, where it’s a little bit drier normally, we used to being able to go whenever we want to. So, to have to sit around for ten days or two weeks because of rain, is not something we are used to,” said Haight. “I think our wives were ready for us to be out of the house because we were just kind of moping around.”

He says, generally, they are ready to go and are feeling optimistic. But Haight will have to make up for lost time. His progress mirrors the latest provincial crop report showing 41 per cent complete. That’s well behind the five-year average of 82 per cent.

At the same time, wetter evenings have meant fewer hours to work with.

“Normally, you’re going to 11 p.m., and midnight, so you’re losing four or five hours,” said Haight.

But it’s not just the obvious constraints of wet weather. Farmers are also feeling the pressure of a fuel bill, driven by the conflict in the Middle East.

“Really challenging because this is harvest time, this is our most fuel-intensive time on the farm,” said Kate Sauser with the Grain Growers of Canada.

Sauser has done the math and it shows a large combine can burn about 16,800 litres of diesel over a 30-day harvest.

That’s about $18,500 in fuel with an average price of $1.10 a litre last year. This year, that number rises to about $33,600, with an average price of about $2.00 a litre this year. Roughly $15,000 more for just one combine.

“We can’t just avoid these costs there’s something that we actually have to sink so it is really alarming to see that those costs are eating away at farmers bottom lines as much as they are.”

When considering everything that has to happen to get the crop from the field into the bin, the combine the tractors, grain carts and trucks, producers know, the fuel costs can add up quickly. And this year, farmers are spending that money with the risk that some of that crop may not bring the same price it would have earlier in the season. That’s the squeeze farmers are facing.

“It’s not just diesel it’s inputs that are more expensive every day. Some of our fertilizers where you typically see a summer lull just didn’t come down, we just didn’t see that reset this year,” added Haight.

But Haight said he keeps things in perspective. For him it’s also about carrying on the legacy of being a fifth-generation farmer, sharing those special moments, such as having family dinners in the field, or the kids coming along for the ride in the combine. And a sense that despite the uncertainty, things will work out.

“Harvest in Saskatchewan is probably the best time of year and I think most farmers would agree with that.”

As for the crop, Haight expects this one to be one of the best he’s seen in a decade.

“Seeding time is very optimistic because it’s new year. You don’t know what the year is going to bring. Summertime, there is a lot of adjusting conditions, a lot of responding lot ups and downs.Harvest time, for me, whether it’s a good harvest or a bad harvest, it’s an it’s a time of thankfulness for me because the only thing I can do at this point is make the crop worse I can’t make it better like there’s nothing I can do to add bushels or add quality to the field all I can do is preserve what’s there. And so it’s a very yeah very thankful time for us in the farm,” said Haight.