(farmnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

growing season rapidly approaching

Risk management key as Alberta ag producers start 2020 behind the eight ball

Feb 3, 2020 | 10:31 AM

After a difficult 2019, agriculture professionals in the province are asking producers to take risk management seriously with the 2020 growing season upcoming.

Some of the sector’s top minds, including Alberta Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen, met in Innisfail this week to share ideas and talk about what may be to come.

“Farmers are, by nature, optimists. But especially west of Highway 2 and into the Peace (region), we’ve got a lot of unharvested acres, and on top of that, the crop that did come off (last year) was either poor quality or damp,” says Keith Gabert, a local agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada.

“We’ve seen a lot of grain-drying, and have gotten into discussions about things like the carbon tax with more natural gas being used. At the end of the day, we have crop out in the field that should’ve been in the bin, and that’s going to create some logistical challenges and delays in getting the next crop in. So we’re starting this year at a disadvantage.”

Ed Ten Hove, client development advisor with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), says producers need the ground to dry out as soon as possible.

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“Farmers have extra work this year before seeding which will also make a difference for next year’s plans,” he explains, noting last year’s drought and hail, which severely affects things like hay.

“What the weather will be like is really hard to know, but farmers will run into that extra challenge of starting 2020 behind the ball because they still have crops out.”

For 2020 AFSC reviewed their perennial insurance program and increased pasture coverage an average of 55 per cent to ensure clients higher compensation in the event of a loss. Producers are encouraged to reach out to their local AFSC branch to discuss a personalized risk-management plan to prepare for the upcoming growing season.

Ten Hove adds that while numbers are still being crunched, it’s safe to say 2019 matched or surpassed the struggles of 2016 in multiple areas; as of recent tallies, over one million insured acres were reported unharvested across the province..

Meantime, Gabert says there continues to be problems with diseases like blackleg and clubroot, which restrict water movement and ultimately limit crop yield.

“Clubroot has been spreading 30 to 40 kilometres every year since it entered Alberta in 2003, every time we move infected soil,” he says. “It’s a really small spore, so when there’s a susceptible host like canola or something closely related (ie. broccoli or cabbage), and we do have 20 million+ acres of canola in western Canada, that’s more than enough to get this disease spreading really rapidly.”

One-in-three crop rotation seems to be most ideal, according to Gabert, in terms of being proactive against disease.

Jeremy Boychyn, an agronomy research extension specialist with the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley, says knowledge is power when it comes to risk management.

“Be knowledgeable about fusarium (a fungi) and the risks and how you can protect yourself. Be knowledgeable that concerns around falling number are increasing; producers need to be aware of how to manage that,” says Boychyn, adding that farm-based research is important.

“Producers need to implement research on their farm to get a better understanding of how management changes might change the value of what they get back, so that means if they buy a new piece of equipment, up or lower their nitrogen rate, or if they’re deciding to use or not use a fungicide, understanding how to trial that on their farm is a useful tool as a producer.”

One poor decision can cost someone a lot of money, he points out.

“I think the minister speaks with a clear understanding of Alberta producers, and he’s doing an effective job of taking our message back to the national meetings,” says Ten Hove. “What farmers are looking for is effective representation, and I was very impressed with how in touch [Dreeshen] is with what’s going on.”