Manitoba farmers behind on harvest, but optimistic about catching up

By Vasilios Bellos Global News

Posted October 7, 2026 6:54 pm

Updated October 7, 2026 6:55 pm

2 min read

From heavy rain earlier in the year, to incredibly hot and dry conditions in July and August, Manitoba farmers have certainly faced their challenges this season.

The most recent report released on Tuesday found 65 per cent of all crops in Manitoba have been harvested. That’s 21 per cent lower than last year, and 20 per cent below the same mark in 2024.

“The month of September it rained almost every other day, we had heavy dews, we had fog in the morning,” says Altona area farmer Kelvin Heppner. “That makes it near impossible to harvest a dry crop in those conditions, so there was not a lot of harvest that happened.”

As a result, there are challenges with many of the crops that still haven’t been harvested including mould and other factors that could impact the quality of the crop. There is a sigh of relief amongst farmers and a confidence that they can catch up, as the month of October so far has been much more forgiving when it comes to harvesting conditions.

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“It’s hoping for long days like we’ve had here the last while where there’s a good breeze in the morning, low humidity, and you can have a long day of harvest,” explained Heppner. “In some cases, I’ve heard of farms purchasing or renting another combine harvester to increase their capacity during the day to get more acres off which means higher costs.”

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Top priority according to Heppner right now is canola. Much of it is in poor shape, and yields are expected to be lower as combines won’t be able to capture all of it in its current condition.

Others like corn and soy beans are considered more resilient, and as long as the weather holds are expected to be harvested quickly.

According to the provincial crop report, Southwestern Manitoba has fallen furthest behind, harvesting only half of its crop as of Tuesday.

Keystone Agricultural Producers President Jill Verwey says producers are working to salvage what they can, and are remaining optimistic for the future.

“Let’s get that crop off, everybody stay safe, and let’s get it as good quality as we can in the bin,” explained Verwey.

Look towards getting those fields ready for next year and making plans for 2027.”

There is rain expected in parts of Manitoba this weekend, but producers don’t expect enough to cause any serious disruptions to their operations.