It's hard to believe that with such a wet spring and early summer that farmers are now asking for a bit of rain.
Doug Chorney, President of Keystone Agricultural Producers, says most of the province is looking quite dry, which has caused some drought stress on crops such as canola and soybeans.
He notes this isn't the first time that we've seen both ends of the spectrum throughout the course of one growing season, noting 2011 & 2012 saw similar wet/dry conditions.
Chorney suggests better water management is the key.
"We really think there is a lesson to be learned here on how we could better manage our water and use it maybe more efficiently," he said. "For producers who are able to adopt irrigation systems and use that to supplement throughout these dry periods, I think they'll find it of great benefit. Therefore you have the support system in place for holding water early in the season and that would probably take a lot of pressure off of our tributaries and rivers."
Chorney notes farmers in the flooded southwest corner of the province could still salvage part of the year by perhaps seeding forage crops, winter wheat, or fall rye.
Source: PortageOnline