By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Monday August 15, 2022

Aug 15, 2022 | 4:15 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Insurance companies are urging growers to leave adequate samples of damaged crops as they assess hailstorm damage across Western Canada, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA).

Member companies are investigating more than 1,200 claims of crop damage from storms July 25 to 31.

CCHA president Scott McQueen said mid-to-late July brought intense storms producing heavy damage in Saskatchewan and Alberta. July 31 produced the bulk of the claims for his company with damage raging from light to heavy.

“Companies are still on time when it comes to assessing damage,” McQueen said. “If you are harvesting your crops, please leave adequate samples for your adjuster. If you are not sure what to leave, give your insurance provider a call and they will help you out.”

Darryl Tiefenbach with Additional Municipal Hail Insurance also reported the west-central border between Saskatchewan and Alberta was hit the hardest.

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“We will expect to see some very severe hailstorm damage to all crop types,” Tiefenbach said. “This storm travelled in a northwest to southeast path with the core of the storm through Kindersley, Eston and Glidden.”

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The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is raising awareness about the importance of grain safety with the second annual BeGrainSafe Week.

CASA chief executive officer, Andrea Lear, said it was launched in 2017 in response to increased grain entrapment fatalities. The program works to heighten awareness and provide training regarding the hazards associated with grain.

She said CASA has developed resources, including social media posts, public service announcements, and safety advice articles with tips and information on how to be safe around grain.

“It’s important for farmers, farm workers, farm families, and farming communities to remember that grain entrapment can happen in the blink of an eye,” Lear said. “BeGrainSafe Week is an opportunity to further spread the message about grain safety.”

According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, there were 36 asphyxiation-related fatalities on farms across Canada between 2006 and 2015.

Lear said CASA wants to prevent more of these tragedies from occurring.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW