As the poor harvest weather continues, Team Alberta has talked to the provincial Agriculture Minister over the phone about the seriousness of the situation and what farmers are going to need.

The teleconference meeting came a day after Alberta Barley, Alberta Wheat, Alberta Canola and Alberta Pulse Growers alerted Alberta Agriculture and Forestry officials to the over $3-billion in crops that remain in the field.

Team Alberta wants to make sure government agencies are prepared to respond promptly to unharvested acre claims and consider all options to help farmers deal with a difficult harvest.

In a statement to Rural Roots Canada following the meeting, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier says while they’re optimistic for better weather in the coming weeks, they’re also ready to help farmers.

“We’re ready to implement measures to streamline AFSC processes, if necessary, so that producers spend less time worrying about insurance and more time bringing in this year’s harvest,” said Carlier.

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Approximately, 7.8 million acres remain unharvested overall.

As it stands, Alberta farmers are about 47 per cent done, 35 per cent behind the five-year average, according to the latest crop report from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

Carlier adds he knows farmers are a resilient bunch and is confident they will get through this adversity once again.

In a statement, Alberta Wheat Chairman Kevin Bender says they remain hopeful farmers can get back to harvesting soon but 2018 will be a major hit to the bottom line.

Team Alberta is reminding producers they are all in this together and there are resources available to help manage the added stress at DoMore.ag and by calling the Alberta Health Services Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642.

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