Yield prospects remain strong across much of the province, but wet conditions and delayed crop development have Alberta’s harvest running well behind its normal pace.
Alberta farmers are heading into harvest with the potential for an above-average crop—but many will need more warm, dry weather before they can get it into the bin.
As of Aug. 25, just 5.6 per cent of all crops had been harvested across the province, according to the latest Alberta Crop Report. That compares with the five-year average of 15.2 per cent and the 10-year average of 12 per cent.
The delayed start reflects a growing season marked by wet conditions, late seeding, slow emergence and uneven crop development across much of Alberta.
Progress varies sharply by region. Farmers in southern Alberta had harvested 16.2 per cent of their crops by Aug. 25, compared with only 2.7 per cent in the Central Region. Harvest remained below one per cent in the North East, North West and Peace regions.
Warm temperatures helped move crops toward maturity during the reporting period, but smoke reduced the benefit in some northern areas. Unseasonably wet fields also continue to restrict access in parts of the North East and North West.
In the South, the challenge is increasingly one of timing. Crops are advancing quickly, but storms have interrupted harvest as farmers try to take off mature fields before weather begins to affect quality.
Fall-seeded crops are furthest along. Provincially, winter wheat harvest was 86.2 per cent complete, while fall rye was 78.7 per cent harvested.
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