A July 7 storm that hit crops from Sundre to Red Deer contributed to the $36 million in hail claim payouts to Alberta farmers this year.
Numbers compiled by Agriculture Financial Services Corp. indicate that 2,500 claims were processed for 2011, not including crop insurance endorsements. In addition to the July 7 storm, major losses also resulted from a July 18 storm that ran from Millet to Saskatchewan.
Total payouts for the year were close to the 10-year average. In 2010, farmers collected approximately $38 million for hail claims.
Across the Prairies, hail payouts were nearly $164 million on more than 15,000 losses.