The past week has been productive for Alberta farmers, with the provincial harvest reaching 91% completion for major crops, according to the new provincial crop report. The recent light rains, which focused primarily on the edges of the North West and Peace regions, allowed farmers to continue making significant progress. Though some areas received more than 10 mm of rain, most regions—including the North East, Central, and South—saw less than 1 mm, allowing combining operations to proceed largely uninterrupted.
As of this week, the South Region leads the way with 97% of crops combined, followed by the Central Region at 96%. In contrast, the Peace Region still has 16% left to harvest, making it the region with the most remaining work. Despite this, all regions are ahead of their five-year average in terms of harvest progress.
Crops such as durum, winter wheat, fall rye, dry peas, lentils, chickpeas, and mustard are almost entirely harvested across the province. However, a few crops still have more than 10% left to combine, including oats, mixed grain, canola, flax, dry beans, and sugar beets. Canola, in particular, has the most left to harvest among the major crops, but the majority of what remains is currently swathed and ready for combining.
Frost and Soil Moisture Conditions
Although precipitation has been minimal, frost has made its presence felt across much of Alberta during this harvest season. Hard frosts have been recorded in the northern half of the Peace Region and significant portions of the Southern and Central regions. Despite the frost, much of the harvest season has enjoyed warmer-than-average temperatures. Cooler weather in the past week, coupled with light rain, has helped improve surface soil moisture conditions in all regions except the North East.
Surface soil moisture in the South now stands at 46% rated as good to excellent, while the Central Region has seen a slight improvement to 64%. The Peace Region, which benefitted from rainfall, now reports an impressive 91% rated as good to excellent. Sub-surface soil moisture conditions, however, remain mixed. The South has seen a drop to 30%, while the Peace Region continues to enjoy favorable conditions with 93% rated good to excellent.
Crop Quality Updates
As more crops are harvested, quality estimates for Alberta’s major crops are being refined. The latest figures as of October 8 reveal mixed results compared to the five-year averages. Hard red spring wheat, for instance, is seeing 49% rated as 1 Canadian Western (C.W.), below the five-year average of 54%. Durum wheat is also below average, with only 41% rated as 1 C.W. compared to the typical 57%.
For barley, 26% is rated as malt quality—down from the five-year average of 32%—while 45% is rated as 1 C.W. Oats are performing close to the average, with 32% rated 1 C.W., but more are being rated 2 C.W. compared to previous years. Canola, a major crop for the province, is also seeing a dip in quality, with 74% rated as 1 Can. compared to the usual 89%.
Dry peas are showing the most significant decline, with only 11% rated 1 Can. compared to the five-year average of 26%, though 73% are rated 2 Can., which is above average.
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