Alberta Crop Harvest Nearing the Finish Line

Oct 10, 2023

The Alberta crop harvest is 88 per cent done which is 13 per cent ahead of the five-year average and 12 per cent ahead of the 10-year average, the Oct. 3 provincial crop report said.

“Provincially, major crops with the most left to combine are oats and canola which are 81 and 75 per cent complete, respectively. Compared to the five- and 10-year average, harvest is ahead for all regions,” the report said.

Provincially, six per cent of all crops are left standing as the other five per cent has already been swathed. The report noted in the south harvest is almost complete with less than one per cent of major crops standing and in the central, north east and Peace areas there’s less than 10 per cent of the crop standing and less than eight per cent in the swath. In the north west 15 per cent of the crop is still standing as well as 15 per cent in swaths.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?