Weather gives farmers second chance this fall. Here's how
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 7:35 PM - Farmers in Alberta are racing against Mother Nature's clock to harvest crops and the warm start to November has provided them a second chance to get the job done.
According to CBC, about 25 per cent of Alberta's crops are still unharvested. All Prairie provinces experienced significant levels of rain in the last half of the growing season and snow since the beginning of October, which delayed harvest and impacted the overall quality of crops.
However, a broad ridge over the region has kept conditions dry and warm across the west, with several areas breaking record temperatures. For instance, Medicine Hat, Alberta hit 23.8oC Wednesday, knocking out the previous record of 18.9oC set in 1887.
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"The weather has changed for us now, as you can see," Madden, Alta., farmer Greg Hawkwood told CBC. "It's blue sky, and we got a very strong Chinook wind. That is really, really helping out the grain farmers around."
Just a few weeks ago, Hawkwood's wheat crop was snow covered.
"Mother Nature is our boss, and whatever she throws at us, we just deal with it," he told CBC.
Brazeau and Lac Ste. Anne counties in the Edmonton area declared states of agricultural disaster last week due to excessive precipitation. Officials say about 75 per cent of unharvested cereals in the region remain standing, so does 84 per cent of the unharvested spring wheat, 64 per cent of unharvested barley and 79 per cent of unharvested oats, according to the most recent Alberta Crop Report.
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"If they have unharvested crops, then the payout under crop insurance regulations will basically be next spring," Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture told CBC. "That's gonna cause a financial crunch for a lot of people."
Do to the dire harvest conditions, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) said in late October that the company would offer support to those facing financial hardship by working on a case-by-case basis to come up with solutions for customers. FCC said they would consider deferral of principal payments or other loan payment schedule amendments to reduce financial pressure.
Image courtesy: Lucey Varey -- Unity, Saskatchewan
Some producers are dealing with so much moisture that they may not complete harvest in time this year, which means they will be forced to combine next spring. Experts say this may delay 2017's seeding schedule.
While Jacobson says every producer's situation is different, younger farmers that carry higher debt loads will be hit the hardest, versus those who have been in the industry for a long time.
"Is it dire for some people? Yes, it will be, for some people," Jacobson told CBC. "Other people will be okay."
SOURCE: CBC | Brazeau County
