The extremely dry conditions in Manitoba, which have led to multiple forest fires in the north, are now pushing other areas towards an agricultural calamity.
The rural municipality of St. Laurent has declared an emergency state, while Coldwell’s MRI has declared a state of agricultural disaster.
“In Coldwell’s RM, there is a large livestock industry, and at this time … I would say that, on average, hay is perhaps 25 percent of what they obtained last year, which is not very good,” said Reeve Virgil Johnson.
“All expect rain, but we didn’t get any, nothing really measurable.”
Many farmers use irrigation systems, depending largely on shelters with stored water, “but shelters are drying,” Johnson said.
The situation is the same in St. Laurent, just south of Coldwell. Both municipalities are on the western side of the Interlake region of Manitoba, against Lake Manitoba.
“We have had many farmers who contact us. His hay is dry and need help,” said St. Laurent Reeve Richard Chartrand.
Agriculture and agricultural food, Canada, said that as of June 30, Interlake is in a severe drought situation.
Johnson was in contact with Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Ron Kostyshyn, a couple of weeks ago, but since then, “has worsened.”
That caused a meeting between administrators in the region and an agreement to publicly declare urgent situations.
“We hope everyone will do that, go back to the government, and we hope you can publish some programs for us and help producers here in a significant way, either with Feed or Freight,” Johnson said.
“Once they see how many people are really in trouble in the agricultural industry in the area, on road No. 6 on road No. 6, it is also quite dry and its surroundings, luckily … it presses them.”
In a written statement to Radio-Canada and CBC, a spokesman for Manitoba Agriculture said that the province is in conversations with several municipal farmers and officials in the Interlake region.
“While we are closely monitoring the situation, we will continue working with the producers to help them address the commercial challenges, even through existing commercial risk management programs. We continue committed to support for farms in the Interlake region and in Manitoba,” the statement said.
Loni Jack, co -owner of Cleg Farms in Lake Francis, just south of the RM of St. Laurent, estimates that he will get just a third of the canola that had planned to reap. The same goes for wheat.
“We were able to put our crops, but there has been no rain, so crops are not doing well,” he said. “It is positive to have planted them, but if they are not going to grow, we are not going to make money.”
For people who pass through the farms while driving along the road, some crops can look good, but they are not, said Johnson.
“The heads are simply not filling so well,” he said, referring to the part that carries seeds of a harvest, where the grains develop.
With nothing to eat livestock herds, producers must transport their pasture to grass animals, “and it is a great task,” said Johnson.
That is exactly the situation facing the producer of cattle Dianne Riding, who said that her farm has had less than 65 millimeters (2½ inches) of rain since the beginning of May. In a normal growth season, the West Interlake region obtains around 200 millimeters, according to the province.
She has had to move won at different pastures long earlier, she said. Usually, she doesn’t do that until September, because she wants them to stay in a general place to graze and gain weight.
He also had to bring his cattle to drinking large tanks that can be filled with wells.
“We would like you not to walk so far, but this is the best solution I have right now,” said Riding. “I need water for this cattle.”
