A late-summer storm left its mark across Manitoba on August 20, with hail falling in nearly every area covered by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation offices.
“It was a very active day from a weather perspective right across Manitoba. We got 10 offices scattered across Manitoba and we recorded some hail activity in almost all of them,” notes David van Deynze, chief product officer with MASC.
Hail damage in canola crops
He says hail is usually confined to a few localized pockets, but this storm was different. Most of the damage was concentrated in the south-central region, particularly around Portage la Prairie, Headingley, Oakville, and Elie. In total, more than 230 claims have been filed.
Westman areas include Inglis, McCreary, Roblin, Rossburn, and Russell.
“Damage is not as severe as hail can sometimes be. Most of it seems to be in that 10 to 15 per cent range and sort of at the higher end in that 30 maybe 40 per cent range,” says van Deynze.
David van Deynze, chief product officer with MASC
Rare scale of impact
Although Manitoba farmers regularly deal with hail, van Deynze adds that it is unusual to see so many communities hit in a single day.
“It probably happens every couple of years where the hailstorms pick up somewhat and then drop off and then start up in that sort of thing. What’s maybe a little bit odd is that the number of locations received at least some hail. That part is a little bit unique,” he says.
The widespread damage has created challenges for MASC adjusters, who are working to keep assessments on schedule while farmers begin harvest.
Prioritizing harvest-ready crops
Adjusters are focusing first on crops closest to harvest, such as cereals, before moving to canola, soybeans, and corn.
“We will probably just about be done looking at the cereal crops because farmers are at the edge of the field with combines. Truthfully, we probably haven’t even looked at very many soybean or corn claims yet,” adds van Deynze.
Hail damage in oats crop
He continues that it will take more time before all claims are processed, but the goal is to avoid slowing down farmers during their busiest weeks.
Rain adds to challenges
Heavy rainfall in areas such as La Salle, Oakville, and Elie compounded the problems. Some farmers reported grain germination in wheat and barley where water pooled.
“Where we saw lots of water lying around in that Oakville and to some extent Elie area, farmers are starting to be able to travel on some of those fields on the edges of them, that’s for sure. But it laid water for a significant amount of time. There’ll certainly be some quality losses for sure, and perhaps even some challenges getting that crop off entirely,” says van Deynze.
He notes producers are waiting as long as possible in hopes of salvaging their crops before turning to insurance.
Long-term considerations
Farmers in lower areas, particularly near the La Salle River, have raised concerns about flooding made worse by tile drainage upstream. While some suggest lobbying government for solutions, van Deynze says that is not an area where MASC has been active.
“We try not to get involved with farmers’ management decisions, whether or not they want to install tile drainage. We more or less leave that up to them. So far, we haven’t been involved in those kinds of decisions or trying to influence policies around that,” he continues.
For now, MASC staff remain focused on moving through claims efficiently, while farmers wait to see how much of their crop can be saved from one of the season’s toughest storms.