Storms resulted in mild to severe hail damage to crops across Western Canada, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

CCHA member companies are investigating more than 800 claims of crop damage from storms that occurred June 30 – July 7.

Companies contributing to this report are Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, Palliser Insurance, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and Municipal Hail Insurance.

“Hail size and severity continues to be all over the place,” said CCHA Chairman Scott McQueen of Palliser Insurance. “We are seeing light to severe damage in all three provinces.”

Here’s a look at storm damage across the region.

Alberta

Crops damaged: Barley, beans, canola, chickpeas, corn, lentils, mustard, oats, onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, fall rye, sugar beets, wheat.

Communities impacted include: Foremost, Grassy Lake, Stirling, Barnwell, Iron Springs, Stavely, Nanton, Milo, Arrowwood, Indus, Airdrie, Crossfield, Beiseker, Viking, Irma, Vegreville, Marwayne, Two Hills, Radway, Manning.

Saskatchewan

Crops damaged: Canola, wheat, peas, corn, mustard, durum.

Communities impacted include: Southern areas of the province.

Manitoba

Crops damaged: Canola, soybeans, cereals, alfalfa seed, edible beans, field peas, corn.

Communities impacted include: Dauphin, Melita, Gladstone, Fisher Branch, Riverton, Manitou, Brandon, Souris, Elgin, Gilbert Plains, Swan River, Neepawa, Waywayseecappo, Carroll, Hamiota, Beausejour, Lac du Bonnet.

Storms produced hail that ranged from pea-sized to as large as softballs resulting in light to medium crop damage across Western Canada, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

CCHA member companies are investigating about 1,500 claims of crop damage from storms that occurred June 17-23.

Companies contributing to this report are Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, Co-operative Hail Insurance, Municipal Hail Insurance, Palliser Insurance and Rain and Hail Insurance Service.

Darryl Tiefenbach, of Co-operative Hail Insurance, said the stage of growth for each crop will be a factor in assessing hail damage and payable losses.

“We are not expecting large payable losses at this time of year although some crops will be severely damaged,” he said. “Regrowth and recovery are an important part of adjusting crops damaged by these early hail storms.”

Here’s a look at storm damage across the region.

Alberta

Crops damaged: Barley, beans, canola, fababeans, flax, lentils, market gardens, mustard, oats, peas, potatoes, rye, sugarbeets, triticale, wheat.

Communities impacted include: Readymade, Stirling, Barons, Carmangay, Standard, Hussar, Madden, Swallwell, Three Hills, Trochu, Olds, Talbot, Hayter, Bonnyville, Josephburg, Scotford, Barrhead, Westlock, Thorhild, Waskatenau, Wetaskiwin, Taber.

Saskatchewan

Crops damaged: Wheat, canola, peas, oats, corn, barley.

Communities impacted include: Aberdeen, Alameda, Arborfield, Assiniboia, Avonlea, Briercrest, Carlyle, Carnduff, Codette, Cudworth, Elbow, Estevan, Frobisher, Lake Lenore, Midale, Moose Jaw, Nipawin, North Portal, Oxbow, Prince Albert, Spiritwood, Unity, Weyburn, Zenon Park, Davidson, Melville, Glen Ewen, Gravelbourg, Maymont, Radisson.

Manitoba

Crops damaged: Barley, canola, oats, wheat, soybeans, peas.

Communities impacted include: Neepawa, Notre Dame, Rathwell, Treherne.

 

The crop hail industry increased capacity in 2023 to accommodate another year of high demand, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

Most companies had coverage available for producers until the deadline of Aug. 1.

“Our member companies successfully avoided the early sales closure we had in 2022 by increasing capacity to match very high sales volume between May and June,” said Scott McQueen, CCHA president. “I’m proud of the work we did this season and I encourage producers to contact a CCHA company soon to help with planning for next year.”

The industry provided more than $18 billion in coverage across the prairie provinces.

In Alberta, producers received $357 million in insurance payments, including the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation crop hail endorsement. Producers received $76.9 million in Saskatchewan and $54.3 million in Manitoba.

“We thank the producers who grow the food we rely on and our adjusters who responded to another year of high market demand and made sure farmers received payments quickly after claims,” McQueen said. “We look forward to partnering with producers to support another strong season next year.”

CCHA members have completed final hail damage claims.

Producers are asked to leave adequate strips of damaged crops for inspection with harvest in full swing, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

CCHA member companies are investigating more than 825 claims of crop damage from storms that occurred Aug. 7-14.

Companies contributing to this report are Municipal Hail Insurance, Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, Co-operative Hail Insurance Company, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation and Palliser Insurance.

CCHA Chairman Scott McQueen, of Palliser Insurance, said hail activity remained slower than normal.

“With harvest in full swing, adjusters have better access to fields which speeds up the adjusting process,” he said. “Sporadic storms continue to produce a wide variety of damage from very light to medium-heavy with stones ranging from pea to nickel size hail.

Here’s a look at storm damage across the region.

 Alberta

Crops damaged: Barley, canola, chickpeas, corn, dill, drybeans, faba beans, flax, lentils, mustard, oats, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, rye, sugarbeets, triticale, wheat

Communities impacted: Grassy Lake, Burdett, Etzikom, Orion, Enchant, Schuler, Sundre, Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Irricana, Rockyford, Paradise Valley, McLaughlin, Round Hill, Kingman, Toefield, Dewberry, Heinsburg, Bear Canyon, Beiseker, Bow Island

Saskatchewan

Crops damaged: Peas, wheat, canola, canola, barley, oats

Communities impacted include: Allan, Semans, Ituna, Yorkton, Dundurn, Leader, Norquay, Preeceville, Raymore, Wynyard, Cudworth, Theodore, Shamrock, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Bulyea, Strasbourg, Plenty, Kerrobert, Eatonia, Hoosier, Marengo, Duval, Watrous, Southey, Martensville, Semans, Kamsack

Manitoba

Crops damaged: soybeans, canola, cereals, peas, barley, wheat, soybeans

Communities impacted include: The Pas, Arborg, Russell, Inglis, Arnes, Riverton, Beausejour, Oakbank, Grandview, Dauphin, Gilbert Plains, Fork River, Dauphin, Winnipeg, Arborg

Storms produced pea to golf ball-size hail across Western Canada resulting in reports of minor damage in most areas, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

CCHA member companies are investigating more than 1,400 claims of crop damage from storms that occurred July 24-30.

Companies contributing to this report are Rain and Hail Insurance Service, Palliser Insurance, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation and Co-operative Hail Insurance Company.

“The 2023 hail season continues to produce storms that have light damage but have spots that have severe losses within most storm events,” said Syd Figora of Palliser Insurance.

Here’s a look at storm damage across the region.

Alberta

Crops damaged: Wheat, pats, barley, canola, corn, lentils, soybeans, alfalfa, dry beans, canary seed, carrots, celery, chickpeas, corn, fababeans, flax, hemp, mint, mixed grain, mustard, oats, peas, potatoes, rye, sugar beets, timothy, triticale

Communities impacted include: Cardston, Trochu, Three Hills, Medicine Hat, Milk River, Cardston, Bow Island, Burdett, Coaldale, Vauxhall, Langdon, Strathmore, Crossfield, Didsbury, Rowley, Craigmyle, Hanna, Cereal, Sibbald, Wimborne, Red Deer, Crestomere, Auburndale, Camrose, Warburg, Genesee, Tomahawk, Evansburg, Rich Valley, Alcomdale, Pickardville, Legal, Vimy, Westlock, Clyde, Spirit River

Saskatchewan

Crops damaged: Wheat, pats, barley, canola, corn, lentils, soybeans

Communities impacted include: Plenty, Lafleche, Gravelbourg, Codette, Carrot River, Aylsham, Star City, Kindersley, Major, Plenty, Marengo, Kerrobert, Codette, Christopher Lake, Tisdale, Ruthilda, Weyburn, Mankota, Fox Valley, Nipawin, Melfort, Ridgedale, McCord, Hepburn

Manitoba

Crops damaged: Soybeans, Sunflowers, Cereals Canola, Peas, Edible Beans

Communities impacted include: Oakville, Elm Creek, Fannystelle, Sanford, Carman, Ste Jean Baptiste, Otterburn, Steinbach, St Malo, Crooks Creek, Beausejour, Clandeboye, Morris, Dufrost, Niverville, La Salla