The hot, dry weather that has scorched the Prairies hasn’t left an
industry untouched.
Chickens have died in the heat, cows and calves without pasture have
been sent to slaughter, chemical companies with no hope of fall sales
have laid off staff, research plots are being mowed down and
municipalities are wondering if farmers will be able to pay their taxes.
“It’s not a very good situation,” said Russell Jeffrey, director of
operations support for Agricore United in Winnipeg. “When the farmer
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struggles, we struggle.”
He estimates grain volume will be down 30 percent across the Prairies
this year.
Like other grain companies, Agricore United may be cushioned from the
drop in grain volume because it bought grain revenue insurance.
A combination of low to no rainfall since spring and two weeks of 30 C
temperatures have shrivelled crops and dried pasture and hayland. In
the hardest hit areas of the north and central Prairies, farmers have
abandoned hopes of harvesting cereal crops for grain and are trying to
salvage it for silage or greenfeed.
Ken Kiziak of Holden, Alta., has even given up trying to bale his crop
for greenfeed. The stubble is too short to be picked up by the baler.
“I’d bale it if I could, but I can’t make a big enough swath to pick
up,” said Kiziak. By hauling water and letting his cattle graze the
canola and cereal, he is hoping they add a bit more weight before being
sold.
Paul Hodgman, manager of public affairs with Alberta Pork, said
producers have started to sell sows because of the increased price of
grain. Feed represents about 70 percent of the cost of raising pigs.
“I think we’re in big trouble,” said Hodgman. “I think we’ve got major,
serious issues.”
Arvid Aasen, pasture specialist at Alberta Agriculture’s call centre,
said many of the calls he’s receiving from farmers are about price:
what should I charge for hay? How much should I pay for my neighbour’s
standing crop? What’s my crop worth?
Aasen said prices for hay range from $90 to $180 a tonne.
“Yes, it is going to be expensive.”
Gerald Hauer with the Alberta Bison Association said bison producers
have been hit doubly hard. Unlike beef producers, the relatively new
bison industry doesn’t have a developed market for cull bison cows.
Lloyd Johnston, general manager of the Alberta Chicken Producers
Association, estimates about 50,000 chickens died in commercial barns
during the plus 30 C temperatures.
“It’s been really tough,” said Johnston, adding many producers will be
forced to improve their barns’ ventilation systems.
Organic poultry producers Ron and Sheila Hamilton of Armena, Alta.,
learned first-hand how quickly high heat could affect free-range birds.
The couple lost 1,300 birds, only two weeks from being ready to market,
when the temperature reached 40 C. They now spends six hours a day
hosing down the tops of the 50 shelters that house 3,900 birds, and the
ground in the cages to increase humidity.
“If we hadn’t started to water we’d have lost the whole flock,” said
Sheila.
Jack Hayden, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal
Districts and Counties, said more than half of the 67 municipalities in
the province have declared drought disaster areas.
Come fall, many that rely on agriculture as their main revenue will be
forced to make some tough decisions about what services they will be
able to offer.
“This is going to be the worst anyone has seen. No question about that.”
