Barley could be an above-average crop, one producer said
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The latest crop report from Alberta’s ag ministry is giving farmers an idea of what crop yields could look like.
In its July 30 report, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry provided dryland yield estimates for wheat, barley, canola and dry peas.
Alberta’s barley crop, for example, is estimated to have a yield of about 66.9 bushels/acre, Alberta Agriculture said.
In 2018, Canadian farmers recorded an average barley yield of 65 bu/ac, Statistics Canada said.
Alberta’s barley crop could fall somewhere between both agencies’ numbers, said Terry James, a cash crop grower from Vegreville, Alta.
“In my area, the barley crop is quite good,” he told Farms.com. “We had an excessive amount of rain, so there is some risk of lodging. But in this particular area I would say it’s an above-average crop.”
Government officials pegged the average canola yield at 41.9 bu/ac.
Some fields are going to need a strong finish to the season to come anywhere close to that number, said Andre Harpe, a canola grower from Valhalla Centre, Alta.
“Our crops are so diverse,” he told Farms.com. “You’ll see one field that looks absolutely spectacular and another that looks drowned out or has moisture problems. We’re heading into the middle of August and we still have canola crops that are in full bloom.
“I think (Alberta Agriculture’s estimate) is a little on the high side. We basically have to make it through the growing season right now to get anywhere close to that.”
Alberta’s other crop estimates include 49.3 bu/ac for spring wheat and 41.6 bu/ac for dry peas.