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Alberta farmers still finishing “harvest from hell” with new season underway
Before Alberta farmers can get going with the 2020 growing season they first need to finish up with what’s been described by some as the “harvest from hell.”
As of the last Alberta Crop Report (Dec. 3, 2019) from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), 10 per cent of Alberta crop acres were left unharvested. The South region has mostly wrapped up the 2019 harvest, but as you move north in the province, the amount of overwintered crop still out there increases, with the Northwest Peace areas furthest behind.
The quality of the overwintered production is said to be quite good, according to the May 5 Alberta Crop Report. Provincially, close to 70 per cent of the spring harvested cereal grains (spring wheat, barley, oats) are coming off as good quality feed. The spring harvested canola is also felt to be good quality, with 84 per cent coming off as ‘3 Canada’ or better.
Provincially, seeding is slightly behind schedule with nine per cent of the 2020 crop planted.