Producers in the Peace Region not expected to get second hay cut

Aug 5, 2025 | 5:14 PM

While rain has provided some help to the rest of the province with crops and pasture conditions, it is looking bleak for the Peace Country this year.

According to the latest Alberta Crop Report by AFSC on July 29, regional dryland yield estimates are mostly above the five and 10 year averages in the South and Central regions, while the North East , North West, and Peace are near or below the five and 10 year averages.

In the Peace, the estimated dryland yields (bushels/acre) and indexes for major crops are as follows:

Spring wheat – 40.8
Barely – 51.6
Oats – 51.4
Canola – 29.9
Dry Peas – 39.1

The five-year yield index is 94.5 and the 10-year index is 89.7 for the Peace.

Major crop conditions have declined in our area by six per cent compared to the previous report. Crops reported in good to excellent condition in the Peace were at 22 per cent as of July 29.

Notable rains did help with soil moisture ratings though, with the Peace Region’s good to excellent rating going up ten per cent in one week to 32 per cent. The sub-surface soil moisture good to excellent rating is 35 per cent, up eight points from the report on July 22.

Dryland hay first cuts were reported at 94 per cent complete with a yield of 1.2 tonnes per acre. The report suggests that producers in the Peace will not get a second cut this year.

For pests, grasshoppers are over the threshold (+15 per square meter) in six per cent of fields.

The next report is due to come out in the afternoon of August 8.

by Erika Rolling