Farmers have until Feb. 28 to insure their hay and pasture land this year.
Alberta had many wet and dry shifts in 2010 and parts of Rocky View County experienced “near normal” precipitation in the east and west, according to soil specialist, Ralph Wright.
“At the moment, most of the province isn’t looking too badly for soil moisture going into the spring,” said Wright, with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Things look a whole lot better than they did at this time last year when most of the province was extremely dry and the situation appeared grim for many farmers.”
Howard Hawkwood runs a 180-head cow-calf operation southwest of Crossfield with his wife Nielle, and is “definitely concerned” about his hay fields this year.
“We only got about 75 per cent of our normal moisture last year and even less in 2009,” he said.
Hawkwood says he fertilizes every year and regularly seeds new stands to keep his hay “as young as possible.”
He bought 500 round bales of hay and a load of pelleted feed to ensure his calves made it through winter, last year.
The payouts on his hay and pasture insurance covered the cost of that extra feed and Hawkwood said he’ll maximize his coverage again this year.
“Last year, more than $6 million was paid on hay and pasture claims in Alberta – mainly due to lack of moisture in the Peace region,” said Chris Dyck, senior manager of insurance operations with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the provincial Crown Corporation that administers hay and pasture insurance in Alberta.
Across the province, claims were also triggered by a cool, dry spring that delayed forage growth by up to a month in some areas, as well as flooding, frost and hail.
“The federal and provincial governments continue to subsidize two-thirds of the premium and all administrative costs to help keep it affordable for producers when they need it most,” said Dyck. For more information, call AFSC at 1-877-899-2372.
