Thousands of Alberta acres unseeded due to recent storms, floods

WINNIPEG – A percentage of canola growers in northeastern Alberta have given up on canola this spring.

Storms that lasted from May 31 to June 2, dumping 100 to 150 mm of rain on the region, drowned out fields north of the Yellowhead Highway from Vermillion to St. Paul, Alta.

Cheryl Westman, who farms near Vermillion, said about 70 per cent of her canola is in the ground. The remaining 30 per cent of acres are a question mark.

About 100 mm of rain fell on her farm, which brought seeding to a halt.

She remains hopeful that more canola can get in the ground, but other growers are done.

On June 3, Westman spoke with a seed dealer in the region, who said that farmers are returning canola seed because their fields are sopping wet.

“The farthest north of my region, I’m guessing canola seed won’t go in the ground,” said Westman, an Alberta Canola director for the northeast region of the province.

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It’s difficult to estimate how many acres of canola will be abandoned in the province, but the rainfall from May 31 to June 2 was exceptional.

During that period, Environment Canada data says:

• Vegreville received 108 mm of of rain

• Lethbridge – 140 mm

Along the Yellowhead, east of Edmonton, flooding and standing water is visible from the highway, Westman said.

In other parts of the province, the three days of rain was needed and helpful.

Around Rowley, north of Drumheller, it arrived at the perfect time for Alan Hampton.

The canola plants were just popping out of the soil, when 50 mm of rain fell on his farm.

“It was a very welcome rain,” he said. “In a good chunk of this area, the seeds were already in the ground.”

South of Edmonton, the majority of canola was seeded prior to the late May/early June rains, Hampton said, based on his conversations with other growers.

Positive for southern Alberta

The region from Lethbridge to Taber received nearly 150 mm of rain over three days – a huge amount for an area that historically struggles with drought.

The low areas in some fields will be drowned out and the crop may not survive, but precipitation was desperately needed in the south, said Catherine Kerkhoff, an agronomist from Taber.

Minimal rain fell in May around Lethbridge and crops were struggling.

“A lot of the land is soaking up the majority of it,” said Kerkhoff, who runs Big Red Ag. “We are very thankful for this moisture.”

Up in Vermillion, Westman said some farmers have thousands of unseeded acres, as of June 3.

That includes a producer, with 20,000 acres, who is about 50 per cent done.

On her farm, Westman remains hopeful that the remaining canola acres can be seeded this spring.

“We’re always trying to be optimistic… We’re farmers. We have to be.”