Last week’s heat behind surge in seeding numbers in southern Alberta

While southern Alberta currently goes through a major rain event, some good news coming in from the province’s latest crop report for Region 1.

A May 26th survey of producers in the Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Strathmore, and Foremost areas found that close to 95 percent of seeding was complete, a jump of about 15 percent from the May 19th weekly review.

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation is also crediting last week’s heat wave, where temperatures peaked into the 30’s in many areas, as the reason behind a rapid progression of crop emergence, at 66 percent, above the historical average.

While the South continues to lead the province in seeding progress, Region 5, which covers Fairview, Falher, Grande Prairie, and Valleyview, is at the opposite end of the scale at only 52 percent, but an uptick of 19 percent from the week prior.