Cool and wet spring delays spring seeding across most of Prairies

REGINA – A cool and wet beginning to spring has slowed the start of seeding in all three Prairie provinces.

Crop reports out this week from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta say some producers in the southern most areas have been able to start seeding.

But the reports say many areas are at least a week behind the average start of seeding and some heat would help.

Farmers are gearing up for seeding despite a rail bottleneck that has meant many still haven’t been paid for last year’s crop.

The federal government says about 2,700 grain and oilseed producers in Western Canada have turned to the cash advance program for advances valued at a total of $200 million.

But so far that’s below the $204 million worth of advances paid to about 2,400 farmers last year.