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Crop Conditions as of August 28, 2018 (Abbreviated Report)
Unsettled weather conditions continue to plague the 2018 harvest season. Producers made very little progress this past week as intermittent showers and rainfall affected all regions. Along with the moisture, cooler weather led to unwelcome frost and ended the long-lasting hot dry spell. The early morning hours saw temperatures in the Central region fall below -2°C (See Map). Smoke from the B.C. fires touched the South region and hindered sunlight from drying the crops.
Currently, provincial harvest is 10.6 per cent complete as compared to 17.8 per cent completed at this time last year. Harvest is up 4.1 percentage points over last week’s 6.5 per cent yet 3.6 points below the 14.2 per cent 5 year provincial average (See Table 1).
Surface soil moisture importance is increasing with respect to the seeding of winter cereals. Provincially, surface soil ratings of good or excellent are up to 46.2 over the previous weeks 43.5 per cent with the Peace region’s 66.9 per cent heavily bringing up the average. Sub-surface soil ratings are 25.2 poor; 31.7 fair; 32.2 good; 9.9 excellent and 1.1 per cent excessive.
When it comes to hay and pasture, not much change since last week’s generally poor conditions. Cattle that has not already been pulled will soon be and little hope remains for second cut hay. Pasture rated as good or excellent fell 4.4 percentage points to 29.9 from last week’s 34.3 per cent with the Central and Northwest regions having the highest rate of poor and the lowest rate of good in the province (See Table 2).
REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS:
The 2018 Alberta Crop Report Series continues to provide summaries for the following five regions:
Region One: Southern (Strathmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Foremost)
- Harvest progress on major dryland crops has increased over last week from 17.6 % combined and 4.9 % swathed to 29.1% combined and 7.1 % swathed, which is well below the 52.4% that was harvested at this time last year.
- Spring wheat is 21.8% combined versus 5 year average of 29.2%; barley at 41.4% harvested versus 38.6%; canola at 7.5% harvested versus 20.1%; field peas at 70.8% versus 5 year average of 81.8%.
- Surface soil moisture: 29.8% Poor; 45.6% Fair; 23.8% Good; 0.8% Excellent; 0.1% Excessive.
- Pasture Condition Rating: 34.8% Poor; 44.0% Fair; 18.8% Good; 2.4% Excellent.
- Hay Condition Rating: 33.3% Poor; 45.2% Fair; 19.0% Good; 2.5% Excellent.
Region Two: Central (Rimbey, Airdrie, Coronation, Oyen)
- Harvest progress advanced slowly over last week from 3.5% combined and 5.4% swathed to 7.8% combined and 11.3% swathed. At this time last year harvest completion was at 14.1%.
- Spring wheat is 4.3% combined versus 5 year average of 6.3%; barley at 6.1% harvested versus 7.7%; canola at 0.7% harvested versus 6.2%; field peas at 67.7% completed versus 5 year average of 55.3%.
- Surface soil moisture rating: 30.7% Poor; 40.0% Fair; 26.7% Good; 2.7% Excellent.
- Pasture Condition Rating: 58.5% Poor; 34.8% Fair; and 6.7% Good; and none rated as Excellent.
- Hay Condition Rating: 57.0% Poor; 35.3% Fair; and 7.7% Good; and none rated as Excellent.
Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost)
- Small amount of harvest complete in the region that has marginally increased over last week from 2.0% combined and 3.8% swathed to 5.0% combined and 11.5% swathed. The last week of August last year saw 2.6% harvested.
- Spring wheat is 4.1% combined versus 5 year average of 5.2%; barley at 2.7% harvested versus 3.5%; canola at 0.8% harvested versus 1.2%; field peas at 51.0% completed versus 5 year average of 56.6%.
- Surface soil moisture: 10.4% Poor; 21.3% Fair; 51.2%; Good; 16.3% Excellent; 0.8 % Excessive.
- Pasture Condition Rating: 24.2% Poor; 34.6% Fair; 40.8% Good; and 0.4% Excellent.
- Hay Condition Rating: 21.9% Poor; 35.8% Fair; and 42.3% Good; and none rated as Excellent.
Region Four: North West (Barrhead, Edmonton, Leduc, Drayton Valley, Athabasca)
- Harvest progress has moved from 0.4 percent combined and 0.6% swathed to 1.8% combined and 3.4% swathed over last week. Harvest at this time last year was 0.7% complete.
- Spring wheat is 1.1% combined versus 5 year average of 6.8%; barley at 2.3% harvested versus 5.0%; canola at 0.0% harvested versus 0.6%; field peas at 25.2% completed versus 5 year average of 44.3%.
- Surface soil moisture: 22.9% Poor; 36.4% Fair; 28.5%; Good; 11.3% Excellent; 0.9% Excessive.
- Pasture Condition Rating: 58.9% Poor; 26.8% Fair; and 14.3% Good; none rated as Excellent.
- Hay Condition Rating: 58.9% Poor; 26.8% Fair; and 14.3% Good; none rated as Excellent.
Region Five: Peace River (Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, Valleyview)
- Minimal harvest underway. Harvest progress has improved over last week from 0.3 percent combined and no crops swathed to 1.2% combined to 2.4% swathed. Harvest was at 6.9% combined last year.
- Spring wheat is 1.5% combined versus 5 year average of 19.4%; barley at 2.0% harvested versus 11.6%; canola at 0% harvested versus 7.7%; field peas at 5.5% completed versus 5 year average of 53.8%. Desiccation of crops continues and swathing of canola has started.
- Surface soil moisture: Poor none; 3.5% Fair; 66.9% Good; 21.2% Excellent; 8.5% Excessive.
- Pasture Condition Rating: 0.4% Poor; 19.6% Fair; 67.7% Good; and 12.3% Excellent.
- Hay Condition Rating: Poor none; 19.2% Fair; 68.5% Good; and 12.3% Excellent.
Z. Sangster & J. Sanden Product Coordinators
email: zsuzsanna.sangster@afsc.ca
email: jackie.sanden@afsc.ca
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation
Business Risk Management Products Unit
Lacombe, Alberta
August 31, 2018
Note to Users: The contents of this document may not be used or reproduced without properly accrediting Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Economics and Competitiveness Branch, Statistics and Data Development Section.
The 2018 Alberta crop reporting series is available on the Internet at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd4191
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