The damage caused to this fall's durum, spring wheat, barley and chickpea crops in the southeast is showing up in a barrage of claims to Saskatchewan Crop Insurance.

More than 2,000 yield loss claims have flooded into Crop Insurance offices located in the southeast, including Weyburn.

This reflects the mass sprouting and mildew found in the grains, as well as diseases like ascochyta blight and sclerotinia that ruined much of the chickpea crop.

Most yield loss claims are made after harvest is complete. A farmer will report a claim if the harvested yield is less than the insured guarantee, or crop quality is below the designated grade. A high number of claims can result when farmers are close to their guarantee or unsure of the extent of their loss, and need an adjuster to confirm or deny the possibility of a payout.

Under the "quality guarantee" section of the insurance, a designated grade has been established based on a historical average grade per crop. When the grade of harvested production is lower than the designated grade, the production is adjusted by a quality factor. This compensates for the loss in value as a result of grade loss.

The value is determined by comparing the price of the harvested grade to the price of the designated grade. The prices used to establish quality factors are the selling prices after harvesting has generally been completed.

Out of the 2,185 claims from the southeast for yield loss, 114 have been paid, at a total payout of $1.15 million in the region. Seventy-two claims have been withdrawn or rejected.

Farmers in the southwest have received a payout of $719,080 for yield loss, while farmers in the northwest have been paid $681,823 and farmers in the northeast have received $327,825.

Since only a small fraction of the reported yield loss claims have been paid out, those dollar amounts will likely increase significantly.

Damage from waterfowl to farmers' fields in the southeast is also being reflected in the latest Crop Insurance statistics.

Waterfowl claims reported from the southeast are at 313, compared to just 87 one month ago. Of those reported claims, 152 have been paid out for a total of $338,927, while 44 were rejected or withdrawn.

The most damage from waterfowl has been reported in the northeast region, with farmers receiving $564,958.

For hail damage in the southeast, $13.34 million has been paid out for a total of 3,845 spot loss claims. The most money, $23.38 million, has been paid out in the southwest region.

However, unseeded acreage claims were highest in the southeast. One hundred claims were paid for a total amount of $594,900.

Southeast farmers were paid $645,816 for 237 establishment claims. Farmers in the northwest region had the biggest problem with establishment in the spring, as reflected in their $1.96 million payout.