CCHA Reports Near-Record Hail Claims In 2021

Nov 17, 2021

The Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA) says extremely damaging storms resulted in near-record claims for farmers across Western Canada in 2021 despite a decrease in overall storm activity.

“What looked to be an average storm season at the start resulted in record-high claim payments,” said CCHA President Scott McQueen. “The industry’s claims payments were up 78 percent compared to the 5-year average.”

Insurance payments to Prairie producers will total more than $322 million – an amount not seen since 2008. Producer premiums totalled more than $309 million for an industry loss ratio of 104 percent.

CCHA insured more than $8 billion in crops in 2021.

Saskatchewan was the hardest hit with an industry loss ratio of 134 percent compared to 65 percent in 2020. Alberta followed with a 97 percent loss ratio, compared to 75 percent in 2020. Manitoba was the only province to record a positive year with a loss ratio of more than 26 percent.

“We are proud to have helped prairie farmers weather an extremely tough season and have the resources they will need to plant again next year to grow the food we rely on,” McQueen said. “We also thank our adjusters who worked tirelessly to stay ahead of the combines and ensure farmers received much-needed relief in a timely fashion.”

CCHA members have completed final hail damage claims.

McQueen said It’s never too early to start planning insurance coverage for next season.

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Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.