Alberta crops down 37 per cent in 2021 but quality above 5-year average
Crop yields in Alberta were down 37 per cent below the five-year average in 2021, while quality was above, with the exception of malting barley and oats.
Favourable conditions also meant farmers across the province were three to four weeks ahead of schedule.
“The drought this year hurt our farmers and ranchers but their hard work and hope for a ‘better year next year’ is what built up our world-class agriculture sector," said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen
As of Oct. 12, harvest progress was 99 per cent complete across Alberta, well ahead of the five-year average of 71 per cent and the 10-year average of 81 per cent.
The northwest region had the highest yields (20 per cent below the five-year averages), and the south region had the lowest yields (56 per cent below the five-year averages).
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) provides much-needed business risk management tools to producers facing adverse conditions and the AgriInsurance program offered a 20 per cent discount for the 2021 crop year.
"As the growing season progressed, it became clear this discount would help ease some of the financial burden on producers facing adverse conditions," the province said in a release.
AFSC is holding virtual Input Advisory Group meetings from Nov. 1 to 10 to gather feedback on potential changes to Moisture Deficiency Insurance.
The virtual meetings will focus on how to account for extreme heat and changing weather patterns and how to make the program more reflective of what happens on the insured fields. The deadline to sign up is Oct. 27.
In January, the province announced a 20 per cent reduction in insurance premiums, which it says has saved farmers and ranchers $70 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.