Provincial harvest begins with South leading crop progress at 6 percent
According to the AFSC and Alberta Government Crop Reporting Survey, as of August 12, Alberta’s 2025 harvest was well underway with 2 percent of crops combined across the province, consistent with 5- and 10-year averages. The South Region leads with 6 percent harvested, followed by the Peace Region at 2 percent, while other regions remain below 1 percent.
Winter wheat and fall rye have seen strong progress, with more than half harvested in some areas. Pulses such as lentils and dry peas are advancing quickly, while broadleaf crops are nearing podding stages. Warm temperatures and timely rainfall have also helped spring cereals progress to dough development.
Crop conditions remain stable, with 65 percent rated good to excellent, surpassing long-term averages. The Central Region reported the highest condition rating at 94 percent good to excellent, while the Peace Region trailed at 25 percent. Soil moisture reserves have improved due to recent rainfall, with 61 percent of surface soil rated good to excellent provincially. Sub-surface moisture levels remain more variable, with Central maintaining the strongest ratings.
Pasture and tame hay conditions show regional differences. The Central Region recorded notable improvement, while the North East and Peace regions declined. First cut dryland hay is nearly complete with yields averaging 1.2 tons per acre, slightly below historical averages. Irrigated hay yields, however, remain above 5-year averages, with second cut averaging 2.1 tons per acre.