Persistent wet conditions across the Canadian Prairies are leaving farmers with difficult choices as they try to bring crops off the field while managing limited drying, storage and combining capacity. With harvest windows narrowing, agricultural specialists say producers may need to prioritize crops based on which decisions are most likely to protect overall farm profitability.
Economics Take Priority as Harvest Options Narrow
Manitoba Agriculture farm business specialist Darren Bond said challenging field conditions mean many producers are no longer choosing between ideal harvest strategies.
“At this point in time, the optimal solution is long gone,” Bond said during Manitoba Agriculture’s Sept. 16 CropTalk webinar.
“We’re only left with a bunch of different suboptimal solutions.”
Wet harvest conditions can significantly affect grain quality, drying expenses and field losses. For Prairie producers, the financial consequences can increase quickly when another rainfall delays combining or causes further deterioration in standing crops.
Bond said farmers should first reduce uncertainty by assessing the grade, moisture level and expected yield of crops remaining in the field. They should then estimate how additional rain or another harvest delay could affect each crop.
Crop Quality Can Determine Harvest Priority
A cereal crop that has already declined to feed grade, for example, may have less economic value left to lose than a higher-value crop still vulnerable to lodging, shattering or other field losses.
“If we get another rain, what will happen to the grade and the yield?” Bond said.
The answer can help determine whether farmers should continue harvesting a damaged crop or move equipment to another field where more value remains at risk.
The objective is not necessarily to save the crop that currently looks worst. Instead, producers may need to identify where another weather event would cause the greatest additional financial loss.
Drying and Storage Capacity Add to Prairie Harvest Challenges
Harvesting tough grain creates another immediate question: where to put it.
Aeration bins may already be full on farms dealing with prolonged wet conditions, limiting producers’ ability to safely store grain with elevated moisture levels.
“If that wheat’s testing 20 (per cent moisture), you’re going to harvest it. What are you going to do with it if you don’t have that capacity?” Bond said.
One possibility is moving existing grain out of aerated storage to create space for newly harvested tough grain. However, Bond said additional handling can cost between 10 and 20 cents per bushel. It also requires more labour and time while potentially increasing the risk of grain damage.
Sprouting Can Quickly Affect Cereal Grades
Grain quality is another concern during a wet Prairie harvest.
Manitoba Agriculture cereal specialist Anne Kirk, speaking during the same webinar, noted that sprouting can affect the grade of wheat even when the visible signs appear relatively minor. More advanced sprouting is classified separately as severely sprouted.
That deterioration can have direct financial consequences for producers, particularly when repeated rainfall keeps mature cereal crops in the field.
Bond also encouraged farmers to speak with grain buyers about acceptable quality specifications and delivery opportunities. Market access can influence harvest priorities because a crop that cannot be delivered for several months may be less urgent than grain that a buyer can accept immediately.
Harvest Speed Must Be Balanced Against Potential Field Losses
Efficiency becomes especially important when favourable harvesting weather is expected to last only briefly.
Bond described one producer dealing with badly lodged canola that could be combined at approximately 2.5 miles per hour. The farmer considered switching to better-standing canola that could be harvested at between four and 4.2 miles per hour.
The faster field could allow considerably more acres to be harvested during a productive day. However, the decision depends on how much additional yield or quality the lodged canola could lose if wet weather returns.
Risk Tolerance Can Influence Farm Decisions
Individual risk tolerance also affects harvest strategy. Some farmers may be reluctant to leave visibly damaged crops standing, even when financial calculations indicate that another crop should receive priority.
Bond said that when much of the potential loss in a cereal crop has already occurred while a strong canola crop remains exposed to weather-related damage, protecting the canola could make greater economic sense.
That does not mean canola should automatically be harvested ahead of wheat or other crops. Instead, farmers should compare the potential consequences of delaying each field and determine which option minimizes additional losses across the entire operation.
“It might be better to limit the losses to the wheat than to have losses in wheat and canola across the farm.”
For Prairie farmers facing saturated fields, tough grain and limited storage, this year’s difficult harvest decisions increasingly come down to managing risk rather than finding a perfect solution. Assessing crop condition, drying capacity, market access and potential losses can help producers protect as much farm income as possible before the next stretch of wet weather.
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