Canada’s national average canola yield will be 10 to 20 bushels per acre below normal this year, according to estimates from farmers and provincial governments. Alberta is the first province to publish an official estimate. It is forecasting 24.9 bu. per acre, well below the previous five-year average of 41.7. It cautions that its estimate […] Read more
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![Producers who irrigate say this year shows the value of having access to water. | File photo]()
Irrigation pivots work overtime this summer
Pivots have run nearly non-stop this summer on the portion of Anthony Eliason’s farm near Outlook, Sask., that is irrigated.…
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![Most crops emerged well in Alberta’s Peace River country this spring but have stalled this summer due to lack of rain. | Randy Vanderveen photo]()
Extreme heat wave takes toll on Peace country crops
What started as a promising spring with good crop emergence is now looking like it may be one of the…
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Smart Nutrition MAP+MST proves itself in dry conditions
"We were bone-dry here this spring," says Mitch Poiron, marketing representative for Nutrien in Manitoba. "We were dusty at the…
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![The hail storm that hit southern Alberta July 5 passed by Glenwood, Alta., about 8:15 p.m. menacing crops and leaving the town of Cardston beaten and dented. | Steve Connelly photo]()
Hailstorm hammers southern Alberta
An intense storm of rain and hail ranging in size from peas to quarters caused flooding in Cardston, Alta., and…
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Sask. hit by more bad weather
Severe weather in Saskatchewan July 11 resulted in heavy rain, large hail and strong winds, according to Environment Canada. Around…
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Stories from our other publications
Canola yields shrivel
Ottawa’s optimistic forecast met with shock as those on the ground expect more dire outcome
Drought 2021
Historic drought challenges farmers
These are trying times for many Prairie producers, with withered crops and parched pastures across wide swaths of the growing region. To help keep you informed about the issue this page will be continually updated with the latest drought-related news and solutions you can use produced by The Western Producer’s team of professional reporters and […] Read more
Precipitation statistics reveal year of struggles
Heat has also been a problem, and market analysts believe canola yields could be 50 percent of normal on many farms
Winnipeg is short an entire foot of moisture. In a normal year, the city and much of eastern Manitoba receives about 520 millimetres of precipitation in the form of rain and snow. However, from Aug. 1, 2020, to July 15, 2021, the Environment Canada weather station in Winnipeg has recorded 232 mm of precipitation, which […] Read more
Irrigation pivots work overtime this summer
Most irrigators have had adequate access to water during the drought, and many say their crops remain in good shape
Pivots have run nearly non-stop this summer on the portion of Anthony Eliason’s farm near Outlook, Sask., that is irrigated. About a quarter of Golden Dee Farms, or 1,250 acres, is irrigated and typically canola, dry beans, flax, fababeans and wheat are planted on that land. This year, Eliason said he seeded higher value crops […] Read more
Extreme heat wave takes toll on Peace country crops
What started as a promising spring with good crop emergence is now looking like it may be one of the worst crops ever in Alberta’s Peace River country. “It is the hottest, driest, without-rain year we have ever seen,” said Rycroft farmer Bryan Woronuk. “Without rain at this point we will suffer large yield losses.” […] Read more
Hailstorm hammers southern Alberta
Crops damaged as hail and heavy rain wreaks havoc on the town of Cardston and farms as far south as the U.S. border
An intense storm of rain and hail ranging in size from peas to quarters caused flooding in Cardston, Alta., and destroyed crops as far south as the U.S. border. “There’s lots of farmers that have lost their crop — hay crop or grain crop — anywhere the hail hit,” said LeNark Duce, public works foreman […] Read more
Sask. groups call for drought aid
Two Saskatchewan farm organizations are calling on governments for drought relief. The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan have both issued news releases saying help is needed now. The SSGA said cattle producers know how to plan for and manage drought but consecutive years of it have forced their hands. “Pastures […] Read more
Sask. hit by more bad weather
Severe weather in Saskatchewan July 11 resulted in heavy rain, large hail and strong winds, according to Environment Canada. Around Last Mountain Lake, large hail caused significant damage to property and crops. Near Assiniboia, some suggested plow winds went through. The peak wind gust in the Assiniboia area was 119 kilometres per hour. Other notable […] Read more
Market focuses on weather, but also watches biofuel news
A record-breaking heat wave and a bullish United States Department of Agriculture acreage report caused crop markets to soar last week. These developments for now have put into the background market-dampening questions about the new U.S. administration’s commitment to biofuels. Temperatures in the upper 30 C and no rain dominated the days leading up to […] Read more
Hotter nights cause problems for crops
The historic, unprecedented, scorching, roasting and record-setting temperatures across Western Canada in late June and early July have been bad news for canola crops on the Prairies. Canola prefers cool weather during the crop’s flowering stage because prolonged temperatures above 30 C usually cause heat blast, which shortens the bloom period and reduces yield. Temperatures […] Read more
