Alberta harvest 88 per cent done as yields come in above average

Alberta's 2026 harvest is 88 per cent complete across the province, with crop yields estimated above average — especially in the south and central regions — Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Tara Sawyer said in a statement released Thursday.

Sawyer said recent weeks brought better conditions that allowed producers to accelerate fieldwork, though slow crop maturity, early-season rain and recent frost and snow have slowed progress in some areas. "Producers continue to make the most of every opportunity to get crops off the field," she said in the statement.

According to the Alberta Crop Report dated Oct. 13, the 88 per cent harvest figure represents a 10-percentage-point jump from the previous week. That puts the province behind the five-year average of 98 per cent complete, though ahead of the 10-year average of 85 per cent.

Spring wheat is 95 per cent harvested, barley at 96 per cent and oats at 84 per cent, the crop report said. Canola reached 74 per cent combined, up sharply from 56 per cent the week before. The Peace Region lagged the rest of the province, with only 57 per cent of canola and 77 per cent of oats combined as of Oct. 13.

Soil moisture conditions are well above historical norms heading into winter. The crop report shows 69 per cent of surface soil moisture rated good to excellent, compared with the five-year average of 31 per cent. Subsurface moisture came in at 64 per cent good to excellent, against a five-year average of 27 per cent.

Pasture conditions are also running above seasonal averages, with 48 per cent rated good to excellent provincially — more than double the five-year average of 22 per cent. Forage reserves are rated adequate or surplus on 91 per cent of operations, and feed grain reserves fall in those categories on 90 per cent of operations, the crop report said.

Fall-seeded crops are off to a strong start, with 72 per cent rated good to excellent province-wide. That is well above the five-year average of 45 per cent and the 10-year average of 58 per cent, the crop report said.

Sawyer said the combination of soil conditions, pasture quality and early fall-seeded crop performance points to positive signs as producers shift attention to winter preparation and planning for the 2027 season. "I applaud the perseverance, patience and hard work of farmers despite the circumstances with this growing season," she said.

The next Alberta Crop Report is available at alberta.ca/alberta-crop-reports.