Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – As farmers across the prairies work to get the crop off the field and into the bin some are still dealing with storms that are causing havoc.
The Canadian Crop Hail Association says storms on August 28 and 29, September 2-5, and 7 has resulted in 800 claims of crop damage.
Saskatchewan
Among the more damaging of the crops was a storm that swept through the Outlook – Davidson, and Yorkton region of Saskatchewan, where damage was heavy on some advanced crops.
Murray Bantle, with the Co-operative Hail Insurance Company, says damage is heavy on standing ripe crops in places.
“The August 27 storm is currently looking to be the most expensive storm of the year for our company.”
He adds hail-damaged cereals, oilseeds, and pulses in Glasnevin, Kipling, Prince Albert, Biggar, Central Butte, Dodsland, Elfros, Humbodlt, Kyle, Luseland, Milden, Mozart, Plenty, Wilkie, Young, and Crystal Springs.
Additional Municipal Hail’s Darryl Tiefenbach says clients stretching from North Battleford to Swift Current and had storms that produced smaller stones with wind and rain, which resulted in light to moderate damage.
“Mainly cereals and oilseeds were damaged since a large percentage of pulses have been harvested at this time,” Tiefenbach said.
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Manitoba
Storms producing pea size hail and high winds resulted in minor to moderate damage to crops in the communities of Beausejour and north of Portage la Prairie.
Brendan Blight is with the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation.
“Harvest is progressing throughout the province, and adjustors are working hard to stay in front of the combines,” he said.
At the same time, Manitoba producers in Neepawa, Oakburn, Solesgirth, Sandy Lake, St. Jean, Niverville, and Winkler, according to Bantle.
Meantime, Cassandra Holt from the Canadian Hail Association says they are hearing from producers in the Swan River area, who felt the wrath of Mother Nature.
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Alberta
According to AFSC’s Jackie Sanden, storms damaged crops near Vegreville, Bashaw, Dewent, Mallaig, Viking, and Rivercourse in the Wild Rose province.
While Palliser Insurance’s Scott McQueen had clients near Wainwright, Vermillion, Nanton, and Brooks requesting adjusters to come out and look at the damage the storms caused.
Farmers near the community of Mannville also reported damage to their crops, according to Tyson Ryhorchuk, of Rain and Hail Insurance Service.
For more information on the damage and previous reports, click here.
