What little rain that has fallen recently in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan has evaporated in the warm weather or been dried up by winds. “It is dry,” said Craig Widmer, reeve of the County of 40 Mile, located in the southeastern corner of Alberta bordering Saskatchewan. “We did some sub-moisture testing last fall and […] Read more
Tag Archives Drytimes — page 2
Drought still top of mind for new CCA president
Water infrastructure and livestock price insurance will be major priorities as the West comes off a challenging time last year
Reg Schellenberg took a bittersweet flight home from Ottawa after he was named president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The pride he felt to be representing the CCA at the highest level was tempered by the death of his father-in-law and well-known Saskatchewan cattle producer, Ted Perrin, who died March 25 in Swift Current. “It […] Read more
Alta. crop insurance rate hike attributed to rising prices
Agricultural insurance rates across the Prairies will be going up this year as a result of higher commodity prices and huge payouts following last year’s drought. Darryl Kay, chief executive officer of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), said an increase in AgriInsurance premiums by 10 percent on average is mainly driven by the rise […] Read more
Dry conditions nothing new for most prairie producers
Ensuring adequate water supplies and using appropriate grazing practices are called important focuses in livestock sector
It’s been a stressful past year for ranchers across the Prairies faced with feed shortages caused by last summer’s drought and high feed prices. But it’s an environment producers need to get used to, according to a group of ranchers participating in a chat as part of the Beef and Forage Research Forum hosted by […] Read more
Dry weather threatens U.S. hard red winter wheat crop
Global wheat traders are likely so concentrated on assessing the agricultural implications of Russia’s attack on Ukraine that other issues are on the back burner, but the drought in the western United States might become bigger news in a month or two. You can’t make solid predictions about a hard red winter wheat crop when […] Read more
National farm income soars despite drought
Economist says assessing national numbers difficult because receipts and income vary depending on province and sector
Agriculture Canada said farmers’ net cash income in 2021 will likely set a new record of $26.6 billion, despite the challenges farmers faced last year. The department said net cash income is expected to have grown 49.1 percent from $17.8 billion in 2020. “Large increases in receipts and program payments are projected to have outpaced […] Read more
Alta. farmers face decisions unless moisture arrives
Precipitation totals that have declined to 25- to 50-year lows in parts of southern Alberta are causing some farmers to consider their options should dry conditions persist into the spring. A lack of snow as of early February has added to the ongoing fallout from last summer’s extreme heat waves and drought, said Lynn Jacobson, […] Read more
Recent drought teaches farmers lessons in how to adapt
Some soybean growers switch to different crops, while others get a better idea how the crop can cope in dry conditions
Farmers and their organizations have had to adapt to the shocks of drought and the pandemic. That should lead to a more flexible, more informed agricultural sector, thinks the executive director of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. “You obviously have to adapt,” said Daryl Domitruk following the conclusion of his organization’s annual meeting. “A […] Read more
Manitoba farmers talk drought, supply chains
Getting through the drought and dealing with the supply chain woes of the late pandemic dominated addresses by government agriculture department and farm leaders at Keystone Agricultural Producers’ annual meeting Jan. 25. Long-term issues such as labour and climate change remain a focus for provincial and national players. “While we understand there is a need […] Read more
Drought hits large wheat-importing region
Drought is threatening cereal crops in several North African countries, according to Gro Intelligence, a climate analytics platform. Much of Algeria is experiencing “severe” drought while “extreme” drought is widespread in Morocco and Tunisia. The analytics firm is forecasting an increase in grain imports to what is already the world’s largest wheat-importing region if the […] Read more
