According to the Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA), the 2025 crop year proved to be an average claims year for the industry, with overall claim numbers down slightly compared to last year.
“What began as a season marked by drought-like conditions and expectations of an early harvest took an unexpected turn,” said Tyson Ryhorchuk, President of CCHA. “Significant rainfall arrived just in time for many regions, regenerating crops and resulting in yields that exceeded initial forecasts.
Although the harvest timeline trailed the yearly average by roughly 10 percent, the improved yields were a welcome surprise for producers across the prairies.
There were, however, several severe storms across the prairie provinces this summer that led to significant cumulative losses, resulting in insurance payouts totaling millions of dollars.
“A mid-June storm rolled through the south portion of the province (Saskatchewan) where the area of Mankota saw crops reduced to stubble,” said Brian Bernauer, Rain and Hail Insurance Services.
An intense storm that hit the Prairie Provinces on July 3 brought large hailstones, strong winds, and heavy rain that resulted in substantial crop losses for CCHA members. Some farmers reported hail stones up to golf ball size.
Commodity prices continued to struggle nationwide, leading to a decrease in total insured acres and reduced indemnity levels per acre. Late season claims were particularly abundant, but CCHA member companies worked diligently to address these losses promptly, minimizing disruption to harvest operations for prairie farmers.
“Our customers filed more claims than last year,” said Bruce Lowe, AG Direct Hail Insurance. “But despite the increase in claims, our adjusting team continued to meet and exceed our internal targets to close claims quickly and issue loss awards to our customers.”
As the industry reflects on the volatility and resilience of the 2025 crop year, ongoing collaboration between farmers and adjusters remains essential.
“The commitment to timely claims processing and transparent communication continues to support prairie agriculture through unpredictable weather and market conditions,” said Ryhorchuk. “We encourage farmers to participate with the adjusters during the claims assessment to better understand the processes and procedures utilized in assessing the losses.”
The Canadian Crop Hail Association extends its sincere gratitude to farmers for their continued trust and partnership throughout the 2025 season. Reflecting on the challenges and successes of this year, CCHA members remain committed to supporting prairie producers and look forward with optimism to an even stronger year ahead in 2026.
Source - https://discoverwestman.com
