The dry weather of late has many farmers in southern Alberta harvesting weeks ahead of normal while others face withered crops due to the drought-like conditions.
Pulses, including peas and lentils, are among the first crops to be harvested and Ian Donovan says the lack of rain this summer has affected the yellow pea yield on his farm near Mossleigh, southeast of Calgary. Donovan says his harvest is down compared to 2017 but many of his neighbours weren’t as fortunate.
“It’s been hot and it’s the second year in a row for us,” explained Donovan. “Last year, for instance, when we did our peas we were close to 50 bushel acres. This year, they’re in that 30-40 bushels (range), probably 35. We’re down at least 20 to 30 per cent in yields.”
The decrease in yield has been exacerbated by a drop in market price.
“We’re going to be at maybe a breakeven on these peas. We’re lucky. I’ve got a neighbour miles away that did his peas and they’re some 20 bushels to the acre,” explained Donovan. “It’s just literally wherever you’re at whether you get a rainstorm or not.”
Donovan will begin harvesting his wheat crop in the coming days. Further south in the province, wheat harvest is well underway and the results have been underwhelming. Farmers in the area say they need heavy rain in the late summer and early fall to replenish the ground moisture or this year’s drought could hurt next year’s crops.
“We’re concerned that this heat wave that’s continuing on here is really going to affect our yields in the future,” said Gary Stanford, director of the Alberta Wheat Commission who farms near Magrath. “We’re hoping that we’ll get some rain someday but it’s a major hit for us farmers.”
With files from CTV’s Kevin Green
