Grainswest - Winter 2026

Winter 2026 grainswest.com 35 O n Tim van der Hoek’s irrigated acres near Vauxhall, potatoes, seed canola and sugar beets are central to the bottom line, but CWRS and durum also play a key role. In fact, cereals reliably hold his high-value rotation together. Of his more than 3,000 acres, much is rented, all is irrigated. Potatoes and sugar beets are grown once every five years while cereals or corn fill out the balance. The cereal years can be the thinnest on the balance sheet, but they are essential to the good health of his operation. This is the story across southern Alberta’s irrigation districts. Cereals rarely pencil out on irrigated land, but agronomically and even in terms of labour, they hold everything together. Farmers recognize this necessity, and each farmer employs cereals in their own unique way. ANNUAL ACREAGE SHIFTS Yield data compiled by AFSC and Alberta Farmer Express capture year-to-year shifts in the crops grown by farmers on irrigated land between 2019 to 2024. These were likely due to contractual and rotational adjustments. Over the six-year period, wheat acreage was relatively stable. In 2019, irrigated wheat reached 248,322 acres. This number rose to 271,064 in 2022, peaked at 292,736 in 2023 and slipped to 272,668 in 2024. Barley acres followed a similar pattern. In 2019, total acreage sat at 87,562. Seeded area dipped in 2020 to 82,173 acres, then climbed in 2023 and 2024, reaching 106,389 and 104,175 respectively. Canola acres fluctuated more dramatically. In 2019, 86,207 acres were seeded to canola under irrigation. Acreage jumped sharply in 2021, hitting 139,250, and declined annually until acres reached 98,504 in 2024. Potatoes remain a consistent part of irrigated rotations but total acreage varies annually. Acreage rose from 43,762 in 2019 to a high of 61,226 in 2023 and dropped to 43,220 in 2024. Sugar beet acres also remained steady at somewhat greater than 21,000 acres and fluctuated by no more than 7,000 acres over the six-year period. While acreage does shift, wheat and barley remain firmly embedded in irrigated rotations. A PILLAR OF THE ROTATION While contracted crops bring in the big bucks, cereals grown on irrigated land are fairly consistent in yield and quality and they keep the rotation on track. Agronomist Scott Gillespie works with irrigated farmers across the Taber and Vauxhall region, where most of his clients include cereals in their rotations out of necessity. Gillespie noted several areas in which cereals are indispensable. Dry beans, peas, potatoes, seed canola and sugar beets all require long rotational breaks. Cereals are indispensable on Alberta’s irrigated acres