The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan says the province needs to do more to prepare for drought
WINNIPEG — Saskatchewan needs to prepare for drought. Not just in 2024 but for future droughts as well, says the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. That’s why APAS is asking for a Provincial Drought Preparedness Committee, which will help farmers and the province respond more effectively to dry and difficult conditions. “The whole idea is […] Read moreTag Archives Dry Times — page 4
Tunisian farmer turns back clock as climate change bites
Producer experiments with older wheat varieties acquired from family and seed gene bank as way to cope with drought
TUNIS, Tunisia (Reuters) — Tunisian wheat farmer Hasan Chetoui is seeking inspiration from the deep past as he tries to adapt to drought caused by climate change, seeding old wheat varieties that he hopes will produce crops throughout the year. Chetoui does not believe his experiment with alternative types of wheat is likely to work […] Read more
Possible drought this summer may increase anthrax risk
Limited snowpack this winter combined with low precipitation in previous years has raised the alarm for severe drought conditions on the Prairies this summer. One of the more serious diseases to arise in these challenging weather conditions is anthrax. Caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, anthrax is an ancient and global disease. The earliest references […] Read more
Alta. drought simulation finds vulnerabilities
The Alberta Water Council recommends that the province, municipalities and various water management groups talk to each other more so they will be better prepared to deal with drought. “Preparedness and adaptability are the keys to successfully responding and adapting to the risk of multi-year drought,” the AWC said in a report released late last […] Read more
Alta. program prepares for more drought
CALGARY – A five-year program will provide $125 million in drought and flood protection for Alberta municipalities and Indigenous communities as the province faces what could be its worst drought since 2001. “Today, due to a strong El Nino not seen in over seven years, we’re seeing warmer temperatures coupled with even less precipitation,” said […] Read more
Sask. crop insurance premiums drop
WINNIPEG — Saskatchewan farmers made about 14,200 crop insurance claims in 2023, which correlates to $1.85 billion in crop insurance payments. That is significantly less than 2021, a year of extreme drought in Western Canada, when Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. paid out $2.3 billion worth of claims just for annual crops. Thanks to another year […] Read more
Alta. municipalities fight drought aid exclusion
MDs of Greenview and Lesser Slave River and Brazeau County left out of federal-provincial drought assistance program
CALGARY — Three rural municipalities in northern Alberta are fighting to get a financial lifeline for their livestock producers after being excluded from a federal-provincial drought assistance program. People are dropping out of the cattle industry because of ongoing dry conditions that are raising fears about the sector’s prospects this year, said beef producer Bill […] Read more
Crop insurance costs explode
WINNIPEG — If crop insurance payments to Canadian farmers were put on a line graph, from 2018 to 2022 the graph would look like a hockey stick. Statistics Canada data shows that crop insurance gross payments were $890 million in 2018. By 2021 that figure had climbed to $3.8 billion and then hit $4.897 billion […] Read more
Drought relief programs extended in Western Canada
In a July 2023 article, we discussed drought relief programs offered across Western Canada due to abnormally dry weather. These drought relief programs have been extended as extreme weather conditions continue. Major sections of Alberta and Saskatchewan are incredibly dry and some regions have soil moisture levels that are less than 40 percent of normal. […] Read more
Sask. expects little runoff
REGINA — Saskatchewan producers could experience another drought year in 2024, according to the Water Security Agency’s preliminary runoff report. Spring runoff is expected to be well below normal in most of the province. Snowpack accumulation has been minimal and as of Feb. 1 the entire province is rated well below normal for anticipated runoff […] Read more
