CHATHAM-KENT, Ont. — Ontario corn growers will be switching to shorter season varieties or another crop altogether if it doesn’t dry up soon, according to the province’s corn specialist.
“The anxiety level continues to creep up, especially after a week we’ve had like this,” Greg Stewart said earlier in the month.
“The growers are looking at getting a dry trend and to have significant planting done before the next rains.”
Stewart said that under ideal conditions, Ontario’s field corn crop is seeded by May 5. As of mid-May this year, about 30 percent had been planted and farmers throughout the province were unlikely to return to their sodden fields for three or four days.
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Farmers in eastern, central and western Ontario had until about May 20 before they would likely switch to a shorter season variety, Stewart said. In southwestern Ontario they’ll have another 10 days to make up their minds.
A large part of Ontario’s farmland — roughly 2.8 million acres — has been committed to soybeans. That’s because of pricing opportunities of $13 and even $14 per bushel.
“Our corn (intentions) were already down to about 1.7 million acres. The talk about switching to beans has been going on all winter,” Stewart said.
The wheat acreage, which is devoted to the soft red winter type for the most part, is also concerning. Stewart said growers managed to plant 750,000 acres under trying conditions last fall. A significant percentage of that came through the winter in poor shape.
Near Chatham, 84-year-old Murray Johnston was taking the situation in stride. Apart from a little “go-fer” duty, he said his son, Watson, looks after the cropping at their family farm.
“The geese were out here swimming this morning,” he said.
“I remember sitting in the house and watching it rain like other years.”
