The best way to weather a drought is to be ready when it comes. Preparation is needed before the rains stop, says Joe Harrington, irrigation specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “Over the years, I’ve been through several of these dry cycles. We’ve had a funding program since the drought of 2001,” he said during […] Read more
Tag Archives Drought — page 5
Soil moisture deficit persists
Rainfall on the Prairies is much greater this year than last, though water expert Phillip Harder warns against setting high hopes for a continuing positive situation. “2023 winter, so Oct. 1 up until April 15, we had 140 millimetres of precipitation,” said Harder, research associate at the Global Institute for Water Security at the University […] Read more
Small business feels ag pain
SMITH CENTER, Kansas (Reuters) — In a tiny town surrounded by miles of rippling wheat fields, Brady Peterson’s restaurant sits nearly empty during what should be a Saturday lunch rush. Normally, Pete’s would be filled with farmers ordering fried chicken and cheeseburgers, but as farm income thins, so does Peterson’s business. Sluggish sales have slashed […] Read more
Feds announce early livestock tax deferral
Program has also been streamlined and buffer zones added to ensure eligibility
Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock producers in drought-affected areas are getting and early livestock tax deferral (LTD) for the 2024 season. The federal government said the situation has become more challenging for producers due to climate change, when announcing a list of regions eligible for the deferral on June 14. The LTD allows producers in designated […] Read more
Alta. town prepares for future water shortages
Officials in Viking, Alta., hope a raw filtered water project will help put local farmers on a better footing for dry times
Glacier FarmMedia – The town of Viking in central Alberta is ready if the tap turns off again in 2024. This time, if drought rears its ugly head, local farmers will be able to fill their agricultural needs from a new raw water pumping station, built with the town’s existing infrastructure. The town celebrated its […] Read more
Pasture outlook seen as ‘cautiously optimistic’
Agronomists urge cattle producers to practise patience when they are tempted to graze immature pastures this spring
The grazing season has had some memorably bad starts in recent years, but 2024 won’t likely be one of them. Producers had a better feed buffer last fall. In 2022, for example, turnout was hindered by the double whammy of a cold, wet spring and the lingering impacts of the 2021 drought on feed supplies […] Read more
Cattle sector aims to break the cycle
Open rates were horrendous in Western Canada last fall: what can producers do to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself?
Glacier FarmMedia – Many beef producers got an unpleasant shock at last fall’s preg check, and experts are weighing in on what can be done to avoid a similar problem this year. According to a report from the Western Canadian Animal Health Network (WeCAHN), more than 40 per cent of some herds were found open. […] Read more
Irrigation study in Alta. comes up dry
One definition of a consultant is someone who looks at your watch and tells you what time it is. The recently released consultant’s report, Adaptation Roadmap for the SSRB: Assessment of Strategic Water Management Projects to Support Economic Development in the South Saskatchewan River Basin, is a mirror reflecting the aspirations of the irrigation lobby. […] Read more
Australian cereals production expected to fall
Lack of rain in the states of Western Australia and South Australia may see harvests fall below the 10-year average
Glacier FarmMedia – WINNIPEG — Dry conditions in Western and South Australia may cause declines in the upcoming Australian wheat and barley crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s attaché in Canberra. In a USDA Global Agricultural Information Network report released April 29, the attaché forecasted wheat production at 25.8 million tonnes for the […] Read more
Recent precipitation welcome, but more needed
Northern Alberta is particularly dry this spring, but even areas that are receiving rain have low soil moisture reserves
Glacier FarmMedia – Even though all three Prairie provinces had snow or rain last winter and this spring, moving out of drought conditions is not necessarily a given. “We’ve seen near normal precipitation throughout most of Saskatchewan and well as southern Alberta and much of Manitoba,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture Canada. This […] Read more
