The Provincial Farm Production Advisor in Steinbach says with the lack of rain in August, we can expect very average grain corn yields this year. 

Earl Bargen notes fields are drying up nicely following the rain we had in the last couple weeks of September. He says soybean harvest is about 85% complete here in the southeast noting farmers took advantage of the great weather on the long weekend to try and wrap things up.

As for corn, Bargen says farmers are just waiting for things to dry up.

"You can definitely the stocks and the leaves have lost the green and they're that tan kind of colour, so you know things are drying down. When you take the corn somewhat wet, it has to go through the dryer most years, that's what guys are waiting for right now is for things to dry up. The lower the moisture content at harvest, the less time and the less money it'll take to dry that crop down through the dryer"

Bargen notes in last week's eastern crop report, which covers an area from Beausejour down to Vita, recorded rainfall amounts ranging anywhere from 5 to 70mm. On that note, He says results are very much dependant on the variety of corn that was planted and where the field is located. 

Although the late rain was ineffective for soybeans it did benefit some of the later seeded corn, but Bargen adds due to the lack of moisture in August, this won't be a bumper crop year. 

"People can do counts on cobbs and you can get an estimate of close to what your yields should be. Some people are saying in the 140 to 150 (bushels per acre) range, some people a bit less than that. I don't know if this year, just because of the rain we didn't get in August, and that goes for soybeans too, yields are kind of more average. We're not going to see bumper crop type yields like we've seen in previous years."

Bargen says average yields for corn are around 120 bushels per acre, but again, notes that will vary from field to field because some areas got more precipitation which will reflect the results of harvest.