A stormy July in the Prairie provinces led to insurance claims being filed on more than one million acres of land, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA).

Within the region, association member companies investigated more than 4,000 claims related to July storms, CCHA said in a news release Friday.

“As crops ripen, any hail or wind storms could lead to more severe losses ahead of harvest,” the CCHA said.

The period of July 3 to 10 was described as “particularly destructive” for Saskatchewan crop producers.

Rodney Schoettler, chief executive officer at Municipal Hail Insurance, said that week saw claims filed on one million acres. Schoettler said it’s the largest amount of damaged land he’s seen in his 39-year career.

Canora, Lloydminster and Maple Creek were among the communities hit hardest last month, according to the association.

Flax and soybeans were some of the crops reportedly damaged in Saskatchewan, while corn, canola and lentils were notable crops damaged in Alberta, it said.

Dozens of Albertan communities experienced storms in July. CCHA pointed to Westlock, Goodridge and Leduc as examples. In mid-July, Westlock County declared a state of agricultural disaster, sparked by the excessive moisture and drowned-out crops.

Manitoba had the fewest number of communities with people who filed crop insurance claims last month. St. Pierre Joly, Brandon and Hartney were listed among the communities that contended with severe weather.

Lentil, oat and pea plants were among the crops said to be damaged in the easternmost Prairie province.

As the time to harvest nears, the association encouraged producers whose crops were hit and who have not yet filed an insurance claim to do so sooner rather than later.

Source - https://globalnews.ca