Farmers cope with damage following hailstorms

Even before two hailstorms pummelled the region and destroyed swaths of crops this week, Doug Keer was already expecting yields on the farm he manages west of Strathmore would drop by a third over last year’s levels.

Dry weather conditions, which have hit 80 per cent of Alberta’s farms, have caused considerable stress for Keer and the 8,400 acres of canola, wheat and barley grown at Kerora Farming Co.

And then on Tuesday, a severe storm brought flailing chunks of hail that destroyed about 1,000 acres of crops, with another roughly 600 acres nearby also taking a beating.

The devastated crops had been among the farm’s strongest, given that the northern tip of the property had seemed to catch more rain and was holding on that much better.

Making matters worse, the farm was hit again, by another hailstorm on Wednesday, though the damage was not as severe.

“It’s decimating; it’s disappointing. You never want to see all your hard work go up like that,” Keer said. “Crop insurance is probably not going to cover what was there but it’ll at least keep it from being a bloodbath.”

The Agriculture Financial Services Corp., which provides insurance and disaster assistance to farmers, reported Thursday that it was still tallying the extent of the damage wrought by two consecutive hailstorms this week.

Tuesday’s storm caused the greatest amount of wreckage between Calgary and Strathmore, while Wednesday’s downpour caused some significant damage north of Strathmore and west of Olds, said Merle Jacobson, the Crown corporation’s chief operating officer.

Producers have five days to file their claims, which means officials will not likely understand the full impact until next week.

Environment Canada said it received reports of nickel to golf ballsized hail east of Calgary throughout the two storms.

Though damaging, Keer said these storms have not been as crippling as his farm has seen. Twice in the past six years, half of the farm was destroyed by hail.

The latest wreckage has been another bump in the roller- coaster year, he said.

Across the province, drought conditions have devastated crops and driven up insurance claims, with estimates total claims this year could reach $ 900 million.

“It’s just been an emotional roller- coaster from extreme dry to extreme heat,” Keer said. “With every little perk that you’ve seen, the crop just got another pressure, another stress. It’s been a very stressful year, that’s for sure.”