Alberta canola farmers face uncertainty with this year's harvest

Canola farmers are facing some uncertainty with this years harvest, struggling both with delays caused by inclement weather and stalled trade with theChinese market.

John Guelly, a Westlock area farmer and chair of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, says this is the fourth straight year of bad harvest season weather.

"It's really been a mixed bag, and we've got everybodyin a different situation in different areas and where we're at right now is, it all depends on how much snow you have," he said, adding that producers are hoping to complete their harvest workbefore Christmas.

60 per cent of canola crops across the province have been harvested as of Oct. 22, according to Alberta's weekly crop report 78 per cent of crops insouthern Albertaand 45 per cent ofcrops in the Peace River region. Harvest progress is eight points between the five-year average of 82 per cent a number Guelly said isn't representative of just how bad of a time some farmers have had.

Snowy forecasts brought concerns, the report stated, "with not only harvest progress but also the quality of crops still left out." That snow came after dry conditions that affected growth across the province this summer.

Another piece of uncertainty is the trade situation with China, which started restricting imports of Canadian canola seed earlier this year.

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It's been grim but Guelly says farmers are resilient.

"It's been a really poor year from many standpoints, but it's amazing to see many canola farmers doing what they're doing, or still doing what they're doing.They've been rolling with the punches and continuing on, and that's a great thing to see in the industry," he said.

Canola Council of Canada President Jim Everson says producers and officials continue to look for ways to lessen that market uncertainty.

"We are working with our government and exporters to find new markets for canola to try to offset some of the loss of the Chinese market," he said.

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Guelly said while every little bit helps, it's going to be tough to replace the multi-billion-dollar Chinesemarket.

Many farmers will be weighing the decision of whether to sell or store their canola in the short term.

"I think they're going to try and move as much as they can as quick as they can, but storage is is becoming a definitereality. Canola is not the easiest crop to store in bins for a long period of time. And so, I think that's kind of weighing heavily on some producers," saidIan Chitwood, who farms near Airdrie and is a board member of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission.

The Alberta Economics and Competitiveness Branch said in a statement that near-term canola sale prices have generally softened, but that price pressure isn't unusual for the season.

Prices in central Alberta are in the $9.60 to$10 a bushel range in the near term, the statement read, increasing to the $10 to $10.70 a bushel range for winter and into next summer.

"There is significant variation in bid prices among the various buyers, so I advise producers to shop around to obtain the best farm gate price for their grade of canola," the statement read.