Cattle producers are coping with a significant drought this year that is severe and widespread across the entire province
Beef producers in British Columbia, facing heat waves, drought and wildfires, are working with the provincial government to get the help they need. It includes seeking federal approval for funding under the AgriRecovery program, said Kevin Boon, general manager for the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association. Provincial officials have also provided $150,000 to help beef producers find […] Read moreTag Archives Dry Times
Farmers in B.C. brace for fish-protection water restrictions
The crop situation in British Columbia is dire as drought and fire continue to plague much of the province and rivers that provide irrigation are drying up, according to the executive director of B.C. Agriculture Council. Danielle Synotte said the situation adds to existing problems caused by a strike by port workers on the West […] Read more
VIDEO: River levels run low in Alta.
UPDATED: Friday August 11, 2023 – 1100 CST – Video added. – Watershed council directors who manage two of the largest waterway systems in southern Alberta say the Bow and Oldman rivers will struggle to provide water to irrigators if present conditions persist. They said the rivers can currently deal with the lowest water levels […] Read more
Drought another threat to beef herd
The newly appointed federal agriculture minister and his Alberta counterpart discussed a range of topics during their first meeting, which took place in Calgary the first week of August. Alberta’s RJ Sigurdson and the feds’ Lawrence MacAulay talked about challenges such as the potential of an outbreak of African swine fever and international trade protocols. […] Read more
Sask. RM declares ag disaster despite irrigation
Province asked for irrigation project commitment as even irrigation areas are hard hit by drought, grasshoppers this year
The council of the Rural Municipality of Rudy declared a drought disaster late last month even though it’s in the heart of Saskatchewan’s main irrigation area. The RM said drought and grasshopper infestations created the agricultural disaster. Less than 25 millimetres of rain have fallen in much of the region around Outlook. “In the RM […] Read more
The red hot hounds of summer remain very much on the loose
To ancient Greeks and Romans, the “dog days of summer” began when Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major — Latin for “big dog” — “appears to rise alongside the sun.” That sun/Sirius pairing, they believed, always delivered the hottest days each mid- to late summer. The ancients were on to something. Typically, […] Read more
Panic won’t help in a drought disaster
We’ve all heard the forecast — more hot, dry weather is in store for the month of August. As an accountant, you might expect me to advise conserving cash, tightening down the balance sheet and halting capital and financing decisions. Although these all come into play, I believe that mindset and attitude are most important. […] Read more
Sask. makes water, vacant land available
Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency has announced it will make water and vacant land available to farmers and livestock producers during the drought. The agency owns and manages land across the province and those who live near these lands can contact it to see if under-used or vacant land is available. “With the well-below normal amounts […] Read more
Lack of rain to pummel durum yields
Jake Leguee’s durum crop started out promising with plenty of moisture. “Down in our area it was a struggle getting the crop in,” said Leguee, who farms between Weyburn and Fillmore in southeastern Saskatchewan. “We had a tremendous amount of water laying around after that April snowstorm.” But the weather turned hot and dry starting […] Read more
Drones put to work tracking down water stress relationship
A University of Saskatchewan researcher is using drones to study the correlation between the thermal temperature of a plant and water stress, which typically means a shortness of water. “I’m using UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to collect the thermal electromagnetic radiation that comes off of crops and using that to correlate it to crop volumetric […] Read more
