‘Once in a lifetime event’: Manitoba farmers say storm damage will devastate this year’s crop

Drone shot of Curtis McRae's flooded farmland (Alex Karpa/CTV News)

CLANDEBOYE, MAN. – Nearly a week after a powerful storm drenched much of southern Manitoba, farmer Curtis McRae is still dealing with extensive flooding on his property.

More than 2,000 acres of his farmland remain underwater, with floodwaters reaching two to three feet deep in some areas.

“I have not seen anything like this before,” said McRae, who farms near Clandeboye, Man., about 50 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

“This is a once in a lifetime event.”

The storm dumped extraordinary amounts of rain across the region, including 255 millimetres in the Stonewall area.

The downpour also brought at least two confirmed tornadoes to the province and resulted in thousands of people losing power for more than 24 hours.

McRae was in the middle of seeding when the storm hit. With water expected to remain on his fields for at least another week, he fears the damage will devastate this year’s crop.

“I don’t even know if I will have 50 per cent of the crop I should have,” he said.

The financial toll is expected to be severe.

“Epically huge. Unbelievable,” he said.

Although he has crop insurance, he still expects significant losses.

“Probably around $500,000,” he said. “There is a good chance I don’t get paid this year.”

The effects could extend well beyond this growing season. McRae said reduced income will make it difficult to purchase inputs for next year’s crop, while restoring flood-damaged fields will require substantial time and money.

‘We won’t have the income to buy inputs, so that’ll be tough,” he said. “Just getting the soil ready for next year is going to be a big challenge and will cost a lot of money to do it, more so than if we would have grown a crop.”

The flooding just adds to an already tough growing season for farmers like McRae.

A cold start led to seeding progress being 25 to 30 per cent lower compared to previous years, and farmers in several regions also had to deal with wind and dust storms last month.

Just down the road, farmer Melody Schwabe is facing similar losses. Several inches of water cover much of her land, and she has little hope for this year’s crop.

“It’s time to just accept that the crop is probably gone,” she said. “It brought a lot of sadness on, and stress.”

She owns Schwabe Pumpkin Farms, a 30-acre operation that grows pumpkins, squash, corn and tomatoes. She estimates roughly three-quarters of her land has been affected by flooding.

“It’s my income for the year, so it will greatly affect that part of it,” she said. “It’s definitely not ideal.”

Calls for immediate support

The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are calling on Premier Wab Kinew’s government to provide additional support for agricultural producers facing major losses from last week’s storm.

“Some producers are facing such a level of devastation that crop insurance alone will not make them financially whole,” wrote MLA Trevor King, in a statement to CTV News.

“These are farm families who need answers now, not months or years from now” said King, who is the PC Critic for Municipal and Northern Relations.

He noted that under Manitoba’s Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program, losses are generally not covered if insurance is available. He said the province needs to provide greater clarity for farmers who may not qualify for assistance.

“The premier has said that those requirements are ‘boilerplate’ and that everybody will be taken care of,” said King.

“But Manitobans need to know what that actually means, how the premier plans to modify or work around a federal program, and whether producers will receive real support beyond crop insurance.”

Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard said the province recognizes the challenges producers face following the storm and are committed to making supports available for them.

“Our government is reviewing and strengthening Disaster Financial Assistance (Arrangements) to ensure it can better respond to the impacts of extreme weather events. We have already started repairing damaged roads and infrastructure and helping out producers with impacts from the storm,” said Simard in a statement.

“Our government will continue working with municipalities, producers, and affected residents to address damages, support recovery efforts, and help communities rebuild.”

Jill Verwey, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, said the latest storm has added to an already difficult period for Manitoba farmers.

“There are producers that are going to be severely impacted,” she said. “Farmers are dealing with weather concerns and trade uncertainty.”

“There are a lot of stressors out there,” she said.

For McRae, the focus now is on finding a way forward.

“The days that you get to spend on the tractor are beautiful, but sometimes you need to make money for the family, and some years it’s difficult. This year will be nearly impossible, but we need to learn how to adjust and make it work,” he said.