Provincial crop ratings remain stronger than the five-year average, but Alberta farmers are dealing with a sharp regional split: declining moisture in the South and Central regions and persistent wet conditions farther north.
Alberta’s 2026 crop is still looking comparatively strong heading into August, but the provincial average masks very different conditions from one end of the province to the other.
As of Aug. 4, 58.1 per cent of Alberta’s major crops were rated in good-to-excellent condition. That is well above the five-year average of 42.7 per cent and close to the 10-year average of 53.9 per cent. At the same time, the provincial rating slipped from 60.3 per cent a week earlier, reflecting growing pressure in several regions.
The bigger story for farmers is the province’s moisture divide.
Parts of southern and central Alberta continue to dry out, with soil moisture reserves declining. In the North East, North West and Peace regions, producers are facing almost the opposite problem, as excess moisture and continued rainfall interfere with field work and haying.
That contrast is especially clear in the surface soil moisture numbers. In the South, 39.3 per cent of acres were rated poor for surface moisture and another 34.8 per cent fair. Only 25.9 per cent were rated good or excellent. Central Alberta was somewhat better, but still had nearly 58 per cent of acres rated poor or fair.
Farther north, excessive moisture has become a significant issue. In the North East, 20.6 per cent of acres were rated excessive for surface moisture, while that figure jumped to 38.4 per cent in the North West. Provincially, 9 per cent of acres were rated as having excessive surface moisture, compared with a five-year average of just 1.2 per cent.
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