The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.
Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:
He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.
In Saskatchewan storms resulted in crop damage to Canola, Flax, Mustard, Barley, Corn, Wheat in the Bienfait, Rokeby, Saltcoats, Fleming, Edgeley, Ebenezer, Homefield, Kornau, Richardson, McLean, Instow, Neidpath, Grand Coulee, Archydal, Tuxford, Marquis, Chamberlin, Aylesbury, Kindersley, North Battleford, Davidson, Mosse Jaw, Regina, Shaunavon, Swift Current, Yorkton, Melville, Moosomin, Estevan, Alameda, Mortlach, Young, Herbert, Carnduff, Canora
Alberta Crops damage was reported in Barley, Canola, Corn, Oats, Wheat in the Hawk Hills, Keg River, Coaldale, Vegreville, Smoky Lake area.
Manitoba Crop damage occured to Canola, Wheat, Peas, Soybean crops in the Killarney, Baldur, Boissevain, Notre Dame, Virden, Boissevain, Ninga, Rhodes areas
Information for the hail reports comes from Palliser Insurance out of Manitoba, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation out of Alberta, Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance, Co-operative Hail Insurance Company, and Rain and Hail Insurance.