Storm Destroys Crops Just Prior to Harvest Across Prairie Provinces
A storm on August 20 brought high winds, heavy rain, and hail across Western Canada causing substantial losses for many producers, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. Heavy damage was reported across several areas.
“We expect to have some areas with crops completely destroyed by hail,” said Darryl Tiefenbach, Co-operative Hail Insurance Company. “But there will be varying degrees of damage depending on hail severity, crop type and crop stage. Ripe crops will generally see the highest loss at this time of year.”
CCHA member companies are investigating 1,800 claims of crop damage from storms that occurred August 17-23. The claim number is expected to rise.
Tennis ball- and baseball-sized hail were reported in Saskatchewan and Alberta just as farmers are ready to harvest.
“Some producers saw the potential for the first great crop in several years being destroyed just before harvest,” said Yves Dooper, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
Rodney Schoettler with Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance said it’s “all hands on deck” with adjusters to assess damage from the recent storms. But he anticipates that it will take several weeks to assess all of the claims.
“Claimants need to keep evidence as required by each company,” he said. “August 20 will likely be the biggest loss event of the year for the crop hail industry.”
Companies contributing to this report are Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, Co-operative Hail Insurance Company, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, Rain and Hail Insurance Services, and Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance.
Here’s a look at storm damage across the region.
ALBERTA
Crops damaged: Alfalfa, Barley, Beans, Canary Seed, Canola, Chickpeas, Corn, Fababeans, Flax, Lentils, Mustard, Oats, Peas, Potatoes, Rye, Timothy, Triticale, Wheat
Communities impacted include: Abee, Barrhead, Bindloss, Bawlf, Bluesky, Bon Accord, Books, Brant, Brooks, Brownvale, Buffalo, Camrose, Cayley, Clyde, Duchess, Edberg, Ensign, Fairview, Gibbons, Goodridge, High Prairie, Hilda, Iddesleigh, Jenner, Kinsella, Legal, Lougheed, Milo, Newbrook, Patricia, Peace River, Pickardville, Queenstown, Radway, Redwater, Rocky Mountain House, Smoky Lake, St. Isidore, Sunset House, Thorhild, Tiger Lily, Two Hills, Valleyview, Viking, Vulcan, Waskatenau, Westlock, and Wembley
MANITOBA
Crops damaged: Cereals, canola, soybeans, Peas, Edible Beans, Corn
Communities impacted include: Angusville, Benito, Birch River, Inglis, McCreary, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Oakville, Otterburne, Portage la Prairie, Roblin, Rossburn, Russell, San Clara, Sanford, St Claude, St Pierre Jolys, and Starbuck
SASKATCHEWAN
Crops damaged: Lentils, peas, wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, canola, corn,
Communities impacted include: Abbey, Aberdeen, Alvena, Arlee, Barrhead, Borden, Bremen, Brooks, Brownvale, Burtau, Camrose, Chamberlain, Clyde, Cochin, Colfax, Cudworth, Dana, Delmas, Denholm, Dewar Lake, Duchess, Edberg, Ensign, Eyebrow, Fairview, Fielding, Foam Lake, Fosston, Frontier, Gladmar, Goodridge, Greenfield, Guernsey, Hague, Hepburn, High Prairie, Hilda, Hubbard, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Iddesleigh, Jenner, Keeler, Kelvington, Kinsella, Kyle, Kylemore, Lacadena, Lake Alma, Lake Lenore, Lake Valley, Lajord, Lancer, Langham, Leader, Legal, Liebenthal, Loreburn, Lougheed, Mawer, Maymont, McCreary, Meacham, Melville, Milo, Neilburg, Newbrook, North Battleford, Oakville, Osler, Otterburne, Patricia, Peace River, Pelly, Pickardville, Pilot Butte, Plunkett, Porcupine Plain, Prelate, Quill Lake, Radisson, Regina, Robinhood, Rosetown, Rose Valley, Ruddell, Sedley, Shackelton, Smiley, Sunset House, Swift Current, Thorhild, Tiger Lily, Two Hills, Valleyview, Vulcan, Wadena, Warman, Waskatenau, Weyburn, White City, Wilkie, and Westlock