Dry conditions this summer have seen water in many dugouts go unreplenished.

Have you been affected by drought?

Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is currently collecting information on conditions and impact of the drought in Western Canada. It’s asking producers to take an online survey, which takes about three minutes to complete. “This information helps justify and document the necessity for programs such as Livestock Tax Deferral,” it said, adding the results will be […] Read more

Wet weather slows harvest pace

Alberta crop conditions as of September 4, 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes Wet weather over the past week has slowed down harvesting operations in most areas across the province, especially in the North East, North West and Peace Regions. Frost was reported in some areas, but it is still early to estimate any potential damage. Currently, the quality for all crops are estimated higher than their short […] Read more


Hot, dry weather sees crop conditions continue to decline

Alberta crop conditions as of August 21, 2018

Reading Time: < 1 minute Provincially, crop conditions continue to gradually decline and are more than 8 points below the 5 year average of 65.4 per cent. As expected, the South region saw little reprieve from the endured drought and the crop conditions suffered with only 39.6 per cent rated as good or excellent. In contrast, the conditions experienced in […] Read more

Crop conditions, harvest operations below five-year average

Alberta crop conditions as of August 14, 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes General rainfall happened across a large area from northwestern parts of the Central Region to the North West and North East Regions, with precipitation from five to 50 mm, bringing needed moisture to the fields after a spell of hot and dry conditions. Precipitation in the Peace Region varied from spotty showers to an inch […] Read more


The situation is grim for many ranchers, ABP warns province

The situation is grim for many ranchers, ABP warns province

Provincial officials will need to quickly roll out assistance programs if drought continues, says Charlie Christie

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s main cattle group is warning the provincial government to stand ready as a severe feed shortage could soon lead to a major culling of herds. Many ranchers depleted their hay stocks after a cold spring delayed pasture growth, and have seen only meagre production this summer in the face of dry, hot conditions, said […] Read more

Hot weather stressing crops, harvests seeing lower yields

Alberta crop conditions as of August 7, 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes Since mid-July, variable precipitation has occurred across the province, with enough rain in some areas, while others are under dry conditions, especially in the southern part of the province. Hot temperatures added to the stress on crops and forages in dry areas, causing heat stress and pushing maturity quickly, resulting in lower than normal yields. […] Read more


This map shows the total amount of precipitation that has fallen across the Prairies so far this agricultural year (which runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31) compared to historical amounts. Most regions have seen near-average amounts of precipitation, with only a few small pockets in south-central Alberta and Manitoba receiving below average. Wet areas were found along the northern edges and in southeastern Saskatchewan.

Why Alberta gets more than its fair share of hail

The number or size of thunderstorms is less important than how close the freezing layer is to the ground

Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s time to continue our series of articles on different types of severe summer weather. I like to re-examine these topics every year or two due to the importance of understanding the different types of severe weather, and also because most people find this aspect of weather so fascinating. In this issue we are going to […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Southern Sask. harvest underway

CNS Canada — Saskatchewan farmers are starting to get into fields, especially in the south where three per cent of the crop has been combined. Overall, producers in the province have combined one per cent of the crop, in line with the five-year average. Two per cent has been swathed or is ready to be […] Read more



Alberta crop conditions decline, hay in short supply

Alberta crop conditions as of July 31, 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes Provincial crop condition ratings declined a further 1.2 percentage points on the week. The South and Central areas are significantly below the provincial average at 39.6 and 51.6 per cent respectively. The Northwest area is on par with the province at 65.9 while the Northeast and the Peace conditions are bringing up the average at […] Read more