A leading weather analyst is predicting dry weather for the northwest Saskatchewan and central and northern Alberta (including the Peace River country) growing areas this spring.
Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri told the Canadian Wheat Board’s GrainWorld conference this morning that he expects “trouble in the west.”
That’s because certain weather patterns are suggesting that the crucial spring seeding period will see farmers in the areas I mentioned above get below average precipitation until into the summer. That would reduce the potential of those crops.
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Across most of the prairies conditions should be good, with a cool, wet spring expected for Manitoba. Generally, conditions including a likelihood for a late frost this coming autumn, suggest most farmers should get a good crop, Lerner said.
Elsewhere, this winter has seen great growing conditions in South America, North Africa and India. Those are competitors to us, so that’s not great news. Don’t believe stories about troubles in Brazil and Argentina, he said about recent reports of harvest problems. “All you need to know is that everything’s wonderful (there).”
