By Sheldon Spackman

Harvest 97% complete in central Alberta

Oct 23, 2020 | 1:44 PM

With this year’s harvest being reported as 99 per cent complete across the province, the central Alberta region is only slightly behind with 97 per cent of crops now combined.

According to the latest Alberta Crop Report from Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), dryland yields are above the five and 10-year provincial averages in the region. Spring wheat is at 67 bushels, barley is 88 bushels, oats 85 bushels, canola 50 bushels, while peas are 47 bushels per acre.

Durum is the exception being reported at 31 bushels per acre, compared to the five-year provincial average of 34 and 10-year average of 39 bushels per acre. Potato yields are estimated at 14 tons per acre.

Crop quality estimates 94 per cent of hard red spring wheat and 100 per cent of durum in the top two grades, 50 per cent of barley reported as Malt with 42 per cent as 1CW, oats are 94 per cent in the top two grades with six per cent grading 3CW, canola is 88 per cent 1 Canada, and peas are 92 per cent in the top two grades.

Surface soil moisture is reported as 77 per cent good or excellent with sub-surface moisture 81 per cent rated good or excellent. Forage reserve estimates are 79 per cent adequate with 19 per cent surplus while feed grain supplies are 82 per cent adequate and 17 per cent surplus. Pasture condition is 62 per cent good with an additional five per cent excellent.

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Provincially, weather cooled down drastically this past week with the vast majority of Alberta seeing temperatures at least six degrees, some areas more than 10 degrees, lower than the long-term average. This cooling trend ended the week with a snowfall event affecting a wide swath down the length of the foothills, creeping east to include the Red Deer area.

Despite the weather, harvest progress was made with the province now reporting nearly 99 per cent of crops in the bin, well ahead of the five and 10-year averages.

As you move northward through the regions, the change in progress increases, with the biggest adjustment evident in the Peace region, where combining swelled seven points over last week. Both South and North West regions are currently over 99 per cent harvested, closely followed by North East and Peace at just under 99 per cent.

Central region is slightly behind the other areas at 97 per cent in the bin. Remaining acres will be a challenge to harvest, and some may be grazed.

Yield reports for Alberta remain high overall at 108 per cent of the five-year and 107 per cent of the 10-year indices. The unstable weather patterns resulted in highly variable yields across the province, and within each region.