Earliest harvest ever in southern Alberta producing about half the yields

Some southern Alberta farmers harvesting early Southern Alberta has had rain this summer but it was also hot. Farmers are harvesting earlier than ever. Alesia Fieldberg reports.

After a hot dry stretch this summer, southern Alberta farmers are now reaping the results earlier than ever before and it could affect your grocery bill.

The De Paoli family has been farming their land near Cayley, Alberta — about  70 kilometres south of Calgary — since 1914, but the 2023 harvest is something they’ve never seen before.

“This is the earliest we’ve ever farmed,” said Chance De Paoli a fourth generation farmer.

“Started July 26th, our normal start date is around August 15.”

Dry conditions had many farmers in Southern Alberta harvesting peas as early as July and cereal crops including wheat and barley could be weeks ahead of schedule as well.

“The last few years with the droughts, things have been earlier. We had good moisture to start germinating and it just got stressed and dried out.”

A hot stretch made crops mature quickly, meaning far less grain was produced.

“The earlier it comes off, the less of the yield for sure," said De Paoli.

“In the southern part of the province generally a 40-60 per cent yield reduction in some of those areas and some spots are going to be even worse,” said Alberta Grains agronomy research extension manager Jeremy Boychyn.

That means a smaller payout for the producers.

“It creates challenges for them spending money for their inputs and in their community so it does impact the Alberta and Canadian economies,” said Boychyn.

“It’s a lot of uncertainty. So the good years will keep get you through and bad years you can survive on insurance. Hopefully,” said Angelo De Paoli, Chance’s uncle.

Crops grown for cattle have been hit too. Higher feed prices and shortages have prompted many farmers to cull their herds more than usual.

“It could be for a lot of people double what their normal percentage is of cul,” said Chance De Paoli.

“So all these little things add up to a lot more shortages and more tightness in the markets,” said Angelo De Paoli.

And that can impact our food as well.

“The issue with beef is already impacting consumers. Beef prices have gone up about 10 per cent. So far wheat, corn, those prices are quite stable still,” said Sylvain Charlebois.

So many farmers have been affected by dry conditions and wildfires that Agriculture and Agri Food Canada and the Alberta government have reopened the AgriStability grant program until September 29.