Saskatchewan harvest faces higher costs and delays

NEWS Saskatchewan harvest faces higher costs and delays By Chris Carr Global News Posted September 25, 2026 6:28 pm 4 min read View image in full screen Hanley Harvest . Chris Carr LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE 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.” STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT 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. Get daily Montreal news Get daily Montreal news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. SIGN UP FOR DAILY MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. “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…