Crop damage hail claims are described as moderate across Saskatchewan so far this month.

The chair of the Canadian Crop Hail Association, Rick Omelchenko, says hail claims have been pouring in this month from farmers, mostly in the southern part of the grainbelt.

He describes claims as heavy in Alberta and light in Manitoba.

There are over 400 claims in Saskatchewan during the past 2 weeks.

“About 821 claims so far between Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and more than half of those claims came from farmers in Saskatchewan,” he said. “The storms were in Lampman, Willow Bunch, Assiniboia, Mortlach, Chaplain, Moose Jaw, Rosthern, Wakaw, Foam Lake, Melfort and a few more other places.”

Omelchenko says the hail damage ranges from light to severe with hailstones ranging from pea to golfball in size.

He says hail claims were below average in June but July is on par with a normal year.

(CKRM)