Weather Woes & Mixed Yields

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Producer Perspectives On The 2024 Harvest.

By Mary Loggan

With harvest wrapped up, farmers are reflecting on a growing season shaped by weather challenges. For many producers, last year required constant adaptation to fluctuating conditions that impacted crop yields and harvest timing.

Weather played a pivotal role in shaping this year’s yields, with each province experiencing its own challenges.

The fluctuating climate – from early-season frosts that delayed seeding, to late-season heat waves that accelerated ripening – was an ongoing factor for many.

Droughts in some regions and heavier-than-usual rains in others contrasted growing conditions across the Prairies, forcing farmers to make tough decisions about managing their land, crops, and resources.

Better Farming recently connected with Prairie farmers to hear how this year’s growing season and harvest went for them. Here’s a closer look at how producers in each province fared.

Landon Friesen, Manitoba: “This year, we had quality issues in wheat and poor yields in canola. The weather conditions in my area were wet to start, but we had a dry finish, with the ground hard and tight. Overall, for 2024, we found corn and wheat up, peas average, and canola down.”

Anthony Eliason, Saskatchewan: “Hot and dry conditions made threshing difficult and hard to clean samples. Harvest was fast – dry weather had everything ready simultaneously.”

Gus Lange, Alberta: “This year, we were expecting slightly below-average yields, and that’s what we got. We had hot and dry conditions with very little rain and had higher pressure from wild oats. The harvest wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best either.”

Daniel Wyrich, Manitoba: “We have issues getting cereals to dry down with high humidity. Overall, we found the earlier-seeded crops did better. Yields went down as the seeding date got later.”

Heath Fairley, Saskatchewan: “We had trouble with canola this year. We thought we could get away without reseeding our crops. Wheat turned out fine, but canola was a real problem with variability and regrowth.”

Jordan Wiebe, Alberta: “We definitely needed more rain; there were very dry conditions at times. Yields would have improved if we had more rain, and crops would not have been so stressed. The harvest process went smoothly; wheat was pretty good, but canola was down.”

Nicolea Dowe, Manitoba: “We had problems cutting canola with severe verticillium stripe infections. Since the stems were weakened, several areas were flat on the ground and were very difficult to cut, and some stalks with pods had to be left behind. The harvest went well. We had great weather and a long open fall to get the crops off and prepare the fields for next season. Canola yields were poor, and wheat was average, but the later season crops, like soybeans and corn, were fantastic. We pulled off one of our highest-yielding corn crops ever.”

Adam Heavin, Saskatchewan: “The weather was inconsistent this year, with not enough rain at the right time and not premium weather for harvesting. The harvest was long and drawn out for us, and our canola crop suffered – likely at a five-year low. Otherwise, our other crops got average yields, and harvest went decently.”

Kevin McGillivray, Alberta: “Harvest was not the best this year. We didn’t get enough rain in July, which resulted in poor growing conditions and lower yields. Canola was terrible this year; it was way below average. Lower commodity prices are also an issue for us.”

Archie Waldner, Manitoba: “Harvest this year went well. The weather was great, and we had decent yields all across the board. We didn’t have problems because we have John Deere tractors.”

Craig Dumais, Saskatchewan: “Harvest was interesting this year. The weather was dry with the odd shower, but we had several challenges getting everything dried down. We took the biggest hit with crop conditions in late-stage seeding. We also had to deal with lots of weeds and second growth. Overall, yields were down a bit, especially in canola.”

Lucas Penner, Alberta: “Harvest went well, except for almost burning the combine. This year’s challenges were drought conditions and the increased presence of wild oats. Canola was low, as expected, and wheat and other crops were around average or slightly under.”

Overall

Last year’s growing season and harvest were uneven across the Prairies. Alberta and Saskatchewan faced significant challenges, particularly in the south, where drought and heat reduced crop yields.

Manitoba, on the other hand, saw a more stable and productive season, with many crops performing close to average.

However, one common theme across all provinces was below-average canola yields.

Drought and heat, particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, stressed the plants during crucial growth stages, while inconsistent moisture further hindered crop development. Delayed seeding and weed competition also contributed to lower yields.

As we look ahead to 2025, farmers are hopeful for a more consistent growing season, but the unpredictable nature of Prairie weather remains a constant factor. BF