The hot, dry weather is advancing crops and bringing on an early harvest.

Harvest is getting underway south of the Trans-Canada Highway on winter cereals, peas and lentils with producers talking about lower than average yields coming in.

Saskatchewan Agriculture's Brent Flaten says while the weather has been causing crop damage we are still seeing some insect issues as well.

"We've got everything from grasshoppers, diamondback moths have plopped into some areas of the province, aphids in lentils, peas, and cereals are quite common as far as calls coming in."

While conditions in the south are extremely dry, areas to the north and west-central part of the province have seen storms with rain, hail, strong winds and some localized flooding.

In the east-central region livestock producers now have 76 per cent of the hay crop baled or put into silage, with an additional 15 per cent cut and ready for baling. Hay quality is rated as 10 per cent excellent, 67 per cent good, 16 per cent fair and seven per cent poor. Hay yields are lower than average overall and many producers have indicated that there will likely not be a second cut this year due to a lack of plant growth.

Rainfall this past week ranged from small amounts to 64 mm in the Okla area. The Kelvington area holds the record for the most precipitation in the region since April 1, they've received 235 mm.