MarketsFarm – While some areas of Alberta continued to struggle with a lack of precipitation and higher temperatures, Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) executive director Leanne Fischbuch said pulse crops in the province are faring much better overall than in drought-stricken 2021.
“Harvest is underway in many parts of the province already, thanks to the heat we’ve been consistently having over the past few weeks,” she said. “We already know (there’s) going to be greater production this year, thanks to some timely rains we had earlier in the season. Hearing from (APG) directors across the province, the peas look very good coming into harvest.
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“But obviously, whatever types of weather we’re getting over the next couple of weeks will really decide the crop quality in the end.”
Fischbuch added that crop production in some areas were adversely affected by storms earlier in the summer and some areas in the western half of the province received more moisture than normal. Recent hot weather is helping advance the harvest.
“Overall, the blanket of heat that has been across the province lately is really speeding things up quite a lot,” she said, adding that Alberta’s lentil harvest is right on track.
Fischbuch hopes Canada’s rail systems and shipping infrastructure can readily transport product, including greater pulse supplies, inside and outside the country. But first, the weather needs to co-operate for the next week or so to have a good harvest.
“For the weather to hold out will be the biggest thing right now,” she said. “With harvest underway, producers can continue to keep their process going and get the grain into the bin. From a farmer’s perspective, that will be the first step towards making it a very successful harvest.”
