After two consecutive years of flooding, in 1995-96 and 1996-97, farmers in the Peace River area appear to be heading for a second straight year of drought.
Dale Seward, a cereal and oilseed specialist with Alberta Agriculture in Fairview, Alta., has one word to describe this year’s crop, but it’s unprintable.
He added: “It’s dry as a bone here.
“Last week a couple of really fortunate farmers got an inch of rain in spots, so they got over the drought stress.”
But for many other farmers in the Peace, this year is shaping up to be another disaster. Burn spots are emerging on wheat and barley crops and over the weekend canola flowers began to turn golden, indicating stress from moisture deficiency.
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Lygus bugs and bertha armyworms are also becoming a problem.
“Pretty soon we’ll be up to our ass in bertha armyworms,” said Seward.
“This drought is going to make the economics of farming a little tougher to take.”
“We wonder how (farmers) can stay on after a couple of years. If I don’t get a pay cheque for a couple of months, I’d be broke.”
Dave Hegland farms west of Grand Prairie, Alta. He said the crops in his area need water right now. Last year farmers in his area caught some of the sparse showers that fell in the Peace region, but this year they are out of luck. They haven’t had a good rain since seeding.
“We need a significant rain here. A half inch won’t do.”
If farmers get a good soaker, they may still be able to pull off an average to slightly below average crop, said Hegland.
Some Peace farmers have received adequate moisture. One such cluster is in the Spirit River region, an area that was hardest hit by poor weather the last three years.
Not too bad
Brian Fjeseth farms 350 acres of cereals and canola about 60 kilometres northwest of Spirit River.
He said last year was dry and the two years before that about 90 percent of his crop had to be harvested in the spring because it was too wet in the fall. But this year’s crop is looking “not too bad.”
A heavy winter snow cover left the area with good spring moisture.
“Depending on what happens with the moisture here in the next month or two, the crops are looking OK.”
