At the start of July, canola should have been in full, yellow bloom for a week or more. This is not the case at Robin Cristo’s farm, just north of Assiniboia, Sask.
“This will probably go down as one of the worst years in the area,” he said.
Cristo has farmed the area for around 40 years. He said that while this isn’t as bad as some years in the 1980’s, specifically 1988, it is the worst in recent memory.
In addition to canola, he grows lentils, durum wheat and soy beans on his 21 quarters.
At this point, canola is in the worst shape. Any flowers that are blooming may not be able to produce seeds, because the combination of heat and wind can fry the flowers.
His wheat and lentils are doing okay for now, but they’re getting to a point where they desperately need water as well.
Farmers around Assiniboia are not alone. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a large triangular area has been seeing unseasonably dry conditions. The area stretches from Maple Creek, to Estevan and all the way up to Saskatoon and Rosetown.
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Ministry spokesperson Brent Flaten said there are more questions than answers to what the quality of the 2017 crop will be.
“It is a wait and see game right now as for how much of the crop is going to be a lost cause, how much is going to be a poor yield, and how much of the crop is going to be a good yield,” Flaten said.
However, Flaten added that areas outside the triangle, such as Prince Albert and Tisdale, are experiencing excessive moisture this year.
According to the latest crop report, much of the province’s total crop is in good condition.
Back in Assiniboia, Cristo is stuck waiting for rain. There isn’t a large enough water source to facilitate irrigation so that’s his only option. He said that the area has seen less than a quarter of the usual spring and summer precipitation.
“On our particular farm we’ve received just over an inch of rain, in the last two months, in three separate showers,” Cristo said.
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