LETHBRIDGE — Despite the recent snowfall, it has been a much drier winter than usual in southern Alberta.
That lack of moisture is beginning to worry producers who rely on spring runoff for crop irrigation.
After years of drought conditions, a much milder winter could make things even tougher this growing season.
"There's growing concern. We've been fairly dry up to this time. We haven't really received the amount of snow we would expect during this time of year," said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture.
Drought has forced producers to become even more reliant on crop insurance, but premiums are now set to go up.
The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) says the increase is due in large part to increased payouts over the past few years.
"The biggest factor that I'll start and end with is just the losses we've incurred in the province. Going back a few years including 2021, 2022 and the level of indemnities, if you will, the benefits that have been paid out to the producers in the province," said Mark Prefontaine, chief strategy and innovation officer for the AFSC.
This increase in premiums comes at a bad time for farmers.
Crop prices are currently in a downward spiral, meaning premiums will take an even larger bite out of what could be smaller profits.
"It's going to be a wreck. Crop insurance, the prices are going to be down, the coverage as well is going to be down at least a full third. Our premiums are probably going to be equal, even though we're down a third on coverage," said Stephen Vandervalk, a farmer from outside Fort Macleod.
Hope for the growing season isn't gone just yet.
February often has the most precipitation in winter months, but more significant snowfalls in the mountains are needed.
"It just takes, especially since I'm on (Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District), which is the Oldman river dam, just one big snow or one big rain fills that dam. So that can happen overnight, as far as that goes. St. Mary's is a whole different story -- I think that's going to be more troublesome," Vandervalk said.
The AFSC wasn't able to say how much premiums will be increasing, but hopes to have numbers available within the next few weeks.
