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Rain, but Still Progress for Alberta Harvest

Rain delayed the Alberta harvest this past week, although producers still made better progress than their counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 

Friday’s Alberta crop report pegged the harvest of major crops (spring wheat, oats, barley, peas, and canola) at 74% complete as of Tuesday, up 11 points on the week. The harvest of all crops in the province was estimated at 75% done, up 20 points from two weeks earlier and ahead of the five- and 10-year averages of 62% and 54%. 

In comparison, the Manitoba harvest was estimated at 58% complete as of Tuesday, up only 3 points from a week earlier, while the Saskatchewan harvest advanced 5 points to 79% done as of Monday. 

Producers in Alberta’s North West and Peace regions made the most harvest progress this past week, with fieldwork slower in the South, Central, and North East regions. 

The South Region continues to lead in overall harvest progress at 86% complete, followed by the Central at 83%. The North West and Peace regions were 68% and 67% complete as Tuesday, while the North East was 59% done. 

The Alberta durum crop was 93% in the bin as of Tuesday, with spring wheat and barley at 87%, oats at 69%, and canola at 49%. The pea harvest is virtually now complete, while lentils and chickpeas were 95% and 81% harvested. Flax was 37% harvested. 

Provincial crop quality updates for this week continue to indicate that a smaller proportion than average of the harvested crop is expected to be graded as the highest quality. 

Meanwhile, most dryland yield estimates for major crops have declined slightly since last reported two weeks ago, the report said. The average spring wheat yield is now pegged at 45.4 bu/acre, barley at 57.5 bu, oats at 68.7 bu, canola at 31.9 bu, and peas at 36 bu. 

Those estimates are mostly well below the model-based estimates released by Statistics Canada on Sept. 16. That report put the average Alberta spring wheat yield at 52 bu/acre, barley at 60.4 bu, oats at 75.7 bu, and canola at 38.3 bu. StatsCan’s pea yield estimate was exactly on par with the Alberta projection at 36 bu. 

The widespread precipitation across the province improved surface soil moisture conditions. Provincial surface soil moisture was rated 50% good to excellent as of Tuesday, an increase of 3 points over last week. That compares to the 5-year average of 49% and a 10-year average of 56%. 

Region One: South (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)  

• In the South Region, rain showers slowed the harvest earlier in the week, but warm weather followed which allowed progress to advance by 7 per cent since last week. Total harvest of major crops is at 87 per cent.  

• The 5-year yield index indicates that yields are 119.0 per cent of their 5-year average across the South Region.  

• Estimates indicate that approximately 76 per cent of hard red spring wheat, 65 per cent of durum wheat, and 67 per cent of oats are grading in the top two grades. Around 27 per cent of barley qualifies for Malt, while 36 per cent is grading as 1 C.W. For canola, 58 per cent is achieving a 1 Can., with 31 per cent grading as 2 Can.  

Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)  

• Light showers around the Central Region have delayed some combining, but progress of 10 per cent was seen over the week and the region is now 83 per cent complete harvest for major crops.  

• The crop yield index estimates crop yields are averaging 81.4 per cent of the 5-year average.  

• Nearly 90 per cent of hard red spring wheat, 100 per cent of durum wheat, and 58 per cent of oats are estimated to grade within the top two categories. For barley, 41 per cent is eligible for Malt and 36 per cent is grading as 1 C.W. Canola shows promising results, with 88 per cent grading as 1 Can., and 7 per cent as 2 Can.  

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