MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Alberta durum crops have fared better than other crops in the face of dry weather conditions.
Durum yields in an area between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, a major durum-growing region of the province, are estimated to be 15 to 20 percent below the 50 bushel per acre average for the region.
“It’s no disaster unless you think 15 percent below is a disaster,” said Justin Daniels, director of commodity risk management at CWB Market Research Services.
The average number of kernels on a durum head was 25.8, down from last year’s 30.8 kernels per head.
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In the durum fields, timely rains had allowed the crops to produce not bad looking crops.
“Generally it’s very healthy looking durum, but lower than average yield potential but certainly no disaster in the deep southern Alberta fields,” said Daniels during the Alberta leg of the tour.
Most of the heads of the durum crop were large and beginning to ripen, but with an overcast sky, quality may become an issue.
Courtney Boryski, a durum trader with Gavilon in Omaha, Nebraska, said she came on the tour to see if the prairie durum crops were as bad as the early reports.
“So far yields look good. I’m happy with what we’re seeing out here. Definitely you can see some stress, but the heads are big. Overall I’m feeling pretty positive about it,” she said.
The tour was next headed to southeastern Saskatchewan, where durum crops were not expected to be holding out as well as the Alberta crops.
mary.macarthur@producer.com
