Western Canada to have a late harvest

A late start to the growing season plus fall rains have led to a later than normal harvest in primary growing areas throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Alberta. The warm and windy weather that southern Alberta and Saskatchewan had enjoyed throughout September and allowed for much of the crop to be cut came to a halt last weekend with the rain and snow.

This recent wet weather will require some producers to dry their grain to attain proper moisture levels and prevent spoiling; wet grain won’t keep, so producers must use grain dryers to reduce crop moisture levels to ensure it is sellable at a premium price.

Drying wet grain is common for recently harvested grain, barley and canola in western Canada and given the recent wet weather, the use of grain drying equipment will be steady in the prairie provinces. For grain dryer sales and propane companies, this means another busy fall supplying farmers with fuel for their grain dryer units.

One way for propane companies to anticipate the need for supply is to follow the provincial agriculture crop reports that are updated regularly. Crop reports can be accessed here for Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Many provinces do not have weekly status reports that indicate the percentage of crops in the fields like those listed above, so to better understand the state of harvesting across Canada, the CPA has also spoken with producer associations and local propane suppliers.

The CPA has been informed that Ontario and Quebec are experiencing hot weather for the season, with a bit of moisture causing some delays to the harvest. British Columbia and the Maritimes are in a similar situation but are generally experiencing good weather resulting in a relatively normal harvest season.

The Midwest is where there is cause for potential concern with a late start and wet fall, causing the need for crop drying capacity due to unseasonable moisture. While propane sales are reported to be steadily increasing, they have not yet matched the demand seen last year.

Currently, Manitoba Agriculture reports that progress of the 2019 harvest has been slowed by widespread rainfall, enabling farmers to only be out harvesting one or two days per week. Overall, harvest progress is approximately 59% complete, below the 3-year average of 70.2% for this same time.

In Saskatchewan, a stretch of warm and relatively dry weather has allowed most producers to resume harvest operations in the last ten days. Latest reports say 39% of crops are in the bin, up from 23% last year, but still behind the five-year (2014-2018) average of 62% for this time of year.

Harvest operations have resumed in most parts of Alberta, thanks to generally warmer and windy conditions. However, progress recently slowed due to snow and shower activity in the eastern central and southern parts of the province with upwards of 30 cm in some areas. Approximately 18% of major crops have now been harvested, with another 20% swathed and sitting in the field. About 62% of major crops remain standing. When compared to the 5-year averages (2014-2018), harvest progress in Alberta is behind in all regions.

The CPA will continue to monitor the fall harvest season, staying in contact with provincial agriculture departments and producer organizations. To best anticipate propane demand, CPA members should continue to gather information and be prepared for a potentially heavy need for grain and crop drying this fall in western Canada.