Hail, floods hit Prairie crops

Heavy rain and flooding are contributing to crop damage from hailstorms in parts of Western Canada, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association as its members tally up the impact of the storms seen on the Prairies between June 20 and 28 and July 2-4.

CCHA member insurance companies, in their July 13 report, say they’re investigating about 120 claims of crop damage from those time periods.

Murray Bantle of Cooperative Hail Insurance Co. said storms caused damage which is still being assessed but so far ranging from “light to heavy” on wheat, canola and beans in southern Manitoba, from La Riviere and Plum Coulee east to Steinbach.

Storms in Manitoba also damaged cereals, pulses and oilseeds around Brandon, Foxwarren and Rossburn as well as Hamiota, Melita and Reston. “There was some flooding with large amounts of rain through the Brandon region,” Bantle said. The photo here, by Alexis Stockford of the Manitoba Co-operator, shows flooding around Forrest, north of Brandon.

In Saskatchewan, scattered storms damaged crops around Churchbridge, Calder, Biggar and Estevan, he said, while a larger storm on July 2 damaged crops around Arborfield, Carrot River, Melfort, Lake Lenore and Tisdale, where farmers so far are reporting heavy damage. Storms also damaged cereals, canola and peas around Neudorf and Plenty.

“Farmers reported hail damage for a series of storms that occurred throughout the entire week in Saskatchewan,” said Cassandra Holt of Canadian Hail Agencies, noting crop damage around Star City, Semans and Assiniboia.

In Alberta, farmers reported damage to barley and canola around Coalhurst and Coaldale, and a storm in the Lethbridge area.

Jackie Sanden of Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. said storms led to “variable” damage in crops around Neerlandia, Thorhild, Warner, Chin, Nobleford, Turin, Millarville, Medicine Hat and Hilda.

AG Direct Hail Insurance’ Beth Shewkenek also reported storms damaging crops in southern Alberta and in Saskatchewan.