Manitoba farmers see bumper season

With many crops already off of the fields, it looks like2017 will be a season to remember for Manitoba farmers.

Wheat and mostly all of the canolahas been harvested andDan Mazier, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, says many producers have seen an above average crop this season.

"If you go over a five year average, or a ten year average, I would say this is one of the better crops we've grown in recent memory," said Mazier.

He explained it was a combination of timely rains, a good moisture buildup from last fall in reserveand cool evenings during the summer that contributed to the good season.

"Even though we did see 28 C and 30 Cdaytime highs, we had very good evening temperatures so the plants could recoup, and that's not very common," Mazier said, adding low humidity also played a role in the better than average results.

"When we went into the dry cycleswe were pretty fortunate to have low humidity, so then not much disease. The plants were treated well all during the growing season."

Mazier said there's some canola left in the fields around Minnedosa and Swan River, and soybeans, corn, and sunflowers are still waiting for the harvest as well.

He saidfarmers are expecting the big story of the year to be record soybean acres.

But he added the soil will have to dry following the last few days ofrain before those soybeans can be harvested in the next three to four weeks.

While it may have been a great year,Mazier said farmers are taking it all in stride.

"From a farmer's perspective you look at it as the average," he said. "You take these years the good years and you make up for the bad years, or the years that weren't so good.

"You do a little bit of recovery from them, and you have a little bit extra that you put away."