`Unprecedented' heat and drought continue to hammer Alberta crops

Record-breaking temperatures reduce yield potential as farmers face decisions

As Alberta crops are decimated by “unprecedented” heat and drought conditions, local producers are having to make difficult decisions about how to make the most of a bad season.

The prolonged record-breaking heat this summer has deteriorated crop growing conditions in much of the province and reduced yield potential, causing immediate and long-term concerns for farmers. According to the most recent Alberta crop report, only 37 per cent of provincial crop conditions are rated as good to excellent, substantially lower than the provincial five-year average of 74 per cent and the 10-year average of 73 per cent.

“It's pretty unprecedented in Alberta that the drought is this widespread. In the past, there's been areas with drought conditions or missed a couple of rains here and there, but having this large an area that's impacted is quite unusual,” said Jason Schneider, Vulcan County councillor and farmer.

“We've been talking to a few short-crop producers who are contemplating whether they're even going to bother trying to combine … It's been a hard year for producers down here.”

Some producers are choosing to plow the crops under to try again next year, Schneider said. They're trying to salvage any moisture and fertilizer from this season to improve conditions for next year.

Vulcan County, which is about 120 kilometres southeast of Calgary, issued a Declaration of Municipal Agricultural Disaster last week after a unanimous council vote. The lack of moisture and extreme heat since then has continued to destroy local crops.

In a letter to Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen on behalf of council, Schneider urged the province to address the severe damage and the economic toll the heat is having on the agriculture community.

“Drought conditions are impacting 50 to 90 per cent of cereal and oilseed yields, as well as 50 to 90 per cent of hay, pasture and range yields,” the letter reads.

Several other municipalities across the province — including Wheatland County east of Calgary — have joined in declaring an agricultural disaster, and Schneider said others are also nearing their breaking point.

“This is trying to bring attention to the issue to prompt the province and the (federal government) to take a look and find any assistance they can offer,” said Schneider, suggesting that tax deferral or crop insurance programs could ease the burden.

“We can't remember the last time we declared an agriculture disaster. It has to go back at least 25 years but Vulcan County might never have.”

Heat warnings were in effect Thursday for much of central, southeastern and eastern Alberta with temperatures forecast in the low- to mid-30s C. This is the third heat wave Alberta has experienced this summer, following a record-breaking heat dome in June and sweltering temperatures earlier this month.

The Alberta crop report shows the year-over-year precipitation deficits exceed 50-year lows in some areas. Some regions of the province have got more moisture, with the central region in the best position with 59 per cent of crops rated as good to excellent.

The condition of crops continues trending downward, however, said Emmet Hanrahan, vice-president of product innovation for Agriculture Financial Services Corp. Many farmers will depend on crop insurance and government supports.

“Even if we were to get rain, it's too late for a lot of crops,” said Hanrahan.

The provincial government announced last week that Alberta would double the low yield threshold to allow for additional cereal or pulse crops to be salvaged for livestock feed. This allows farmers to put more poor-quality crops toward feed.

“We've seen a significant number of pre-harvest requests for assessment — a lot higher than we expect to see at this time of the year,” said Hanrahan. “We prioritize the inspection for any crop that's going into feed, that'll be used for grazing.”

Earlier this year, Alberta reduced premium costs for crop, pasture and forage insurance by 20 per cent, which encouraged more farmers to enrol or increase their coverage ahead of this season. The federal government has also committed to a joint Agrirecovery program to support producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Many Alberta beef producers are having to consider reducing their mother-cow herd because of soaring feed prices. The drought is preventing them from purchasing or producing their own winter feed.

“A lot of producers have spent generations building up the genetics of the mother-cow herd that they have, so it's a tough decision,” said Brad Dubeau, general manager of Alberta Beef Producers.

“They're having to decide how many they need to part with in order to make it through the winter.”

These kinds of decisions can have a significant toll on farmers' mental health, said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture.

“The mental-health issues and stress levels have really gone up within the farming community but there are resources available,” said Jacobson. “If people are having trouble, we would just urge them to phone some of the health numbers and work through this.”