Flooded fields after heavy rains slow start of harvest in south-central Manitoba
On the edge of a wheat field east of Poplar Point, Man., water had pooled more than 30 centimetres deep this week, swallowing rows of crops.
Producer Carl Stewart says his 2,300-hectare (5,800-acre) wheat, canola and soybean farm has been hit with more rain in the past two weeks than the rest of the summer combined. Some storms brought almost 80 millimetres of water, flooding fields and making it tough to get equipment in for harvest.
Stewart's farm is about 30 kilometres east of Portage la Prairie, an area that normally gets 73 millimetres of rain in August. After being hit with 100 millimetres of rain overnight on Aug. 20-21, it's now had 115 millimetres this month — 157 per cent of the normal monthly total.
That will hit his bottom line this year, said Stewart.
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"We're going to have to leave some acres behind, and unfortunately those acres are the ones that go to the bank, not to our creditors," he said.
A section of wheat on the farm has been flattened by the rain, slowing down combining. The wheat sits so low to the ground, dirt comes up as they harvest.
Another section of the farm has so much water it's been hard to get equipment in. Stewart estimates his farm is a week behind in getting crops of fields.
More harm than good: KAP
While the moisture has been welcome in areas like the Interlake that have battled extreme drought this summer, it's now doing more harm than good, says Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey.
Heavy rains at the end of August left some fields waterlogged just as farmers were starting harvest, she said. Crops like wheat, canola and peas are at risk of reduced quality, and many farmers are racing against time to get combines on the fields for the best possible yields.
"At the end of the day, most [farmers] are hoping for an average year," said Verwey. "But given where prices of crops are, and the increased cost to put that crop in the ground … it does take more than just an average crop to pay all the bills."
Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says the heavy rains have farmers worried about the quality of this year's yields. (Keystone Agricultural Producers)
Some crops, like soybeans and corn, will benefit from the moisture, but it's too late for cereals, said Verwey. The longer it takes for combines to get onto the field, the greater the danger of reduced crop quality, she said.
"Producers are resilient and optimistic in what we can get off," said Verwey. "We're hoping for some nice dry, warm weather for the rest of the month and certainly into September."
The rain has had mixed effect across the province, says Wendy McDonald, a production agronomist with Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers.
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Soybeans are holding up well, and the yield may even be above average in some areas. But peas, which were nearly ready for harvest, were hit hard by the pounding rain.
Stewart says the edges of some fields on his farm near Poplar Point, east of Portage la Prairie, are under about 30 centimetres of water. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)
"The peas themselves were … kind of smooshed into the ground a little bit," McDonald said. "It'll be a lot trickier to pick them up with the combine."
If wet for too long, the peas can get mouldy, she said.
In parts of southern Manitoba, white mould has appeared on some soybeans — a rarity, McDonald said. While the disease can spell trouble for crop health, it is sometimes linked to strong yield in dry beans.
"If white mould brings gold, we may see some surprisingly good yields in certain places," she said.
Race against time
But McDonald said that driving from Gilbert Plains to Morden — a more than 300-kilometre range — she saw ditches still full of water, evidence of how widespread the rains have been.
While combines are beginning to roll again, farmers need a long stretch of good weather to catch up, she said.
"It's time-critical that we get this crop off in the best condition we can," McDonald said, since crops that sit too long in wet fields could see a reduction in quality, meaning painful losses at the market.
"Farmers are focused on harvest now, but while they sit in the combine, they're also thinking about marketing and what opportunities might look like."
Those marketing concerns are weighing heavily this year, said producer Stewart. Trade disputes and recent shipping disruptions have hurt producers' ability to get crops to buyers.
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His biggest concern is the failure to keep up with essential infrastructure, like ports and railways, to prevent bottlenecks and allow goods to freely flow in the agricultural industry.
This year has been especially painful for canola, which Stewart hoped would drive his farm's income this season. Instead, it's been battered by weather and market obstacles, including a trade dispute with China, which imposed a nearly 76 per cent tariff on canola seed earlier this month, on top of the 100 per cent tariff levied on Canadian canola oil and meal in March.
"We need to make sure that those issues are dealt with, so then when things do improve, when crop prices improve, we can capitalize on it and get our day in the sun," Stewart said.
This article, originally published by CBC News on August 30, 2025, was written by Chelsea Kemp.
Thumbnail credit to Chelsea Kemp/CBC