EDMONTON – While the tinder dry conditions across much of Alberta are being underscored by large, out-of-control wildfires, they also present another concern that’s stoking fears among farmers across the province.
“It’s obviously been a really dry spring,” Kyle Lewis, a producer in the Parkland County area west of Edmonton, said. “We haven’t really had an honest shot of precipitation since the end of January, early February.”
His operation, Lewis Farms, has a diverse portfolio of products from potatoes to cattle. He said it will be devastated if it doesn’t receive some significant precipitation in the next month.
“We’re really banking on the rain,” Lewis said.
Thanks to an unseasonably warm winter and spring, Parkland County didn’t receive a lot of snow this year, resulting in a minimal amount of runoff usually counted on for a jumpstart in spring.
On average, farmers have seeded about two weeks earlier than usual this year because of the warmer conditions.
“I guess farming is a gamble every year so guys are getting their seed in and got their fingers crossed that they can get all their seed in these dryer conditions and are banking on a rain after that,” Lewis said.
With the very real prospect of a drought, many Alberta producers, including Lewis, are making contingency plans to ensure they can source grass for their cattle for example.
About 70 kilometres south of Edmonton, long-time producer Garry Dearing is growing concerned with how his Wetaskiwin-area grain farming operation will fare this year.
“If it stays dry, we could have poor crops,” he said. “Prices could increase because of that – food prices.”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it this dry from February up ’til May and June,” Lewis said.
“Last summer turned out to be very dry, too,” Dearing added. “We haven’t really had significant moisture now in almost a year.”
With files from Vinesh Pratap.