Several rural municipalities (RMS) in southwest Saskatchewan have declared emergency states due to drought.
The Maple Creek, Fox Valley, Enterprise and Waverly RMS say that the lack of moisture has a high risk of fire and that many farmers are struggling to prepare food for their cattle.
“This spring has been the worst drought we have lived in our 33 years,” said Corinne Gibson, owner of Six Mile Ranch near Lafleche, Sask., With her husband Clayton.
Corinne said it was clear in early May that its 4,500 hectares ranch was “in trouble” due to the lack of moisture.
“Nothing even began, nothing grew.” Corinne said.
They began to sow hay during the weekend of May.
Four weeks later, “I couldn’t grow anymore. I was just trying to stay alive, but it couldn’t be taller,” Clayton said.
He said his crops only became six to eight inches high this year, approximately one foot less than the previous years.
The crops are generally cut and rescued or become silage to feed cattle during the winter, but in this case “that does not exist,” said Corinne.
As a result, most cattle have moved to their hay land to graze the small amounts of grass that remain last winter. You should buy another food from other farms.
“Financially it is a challenge,” said Corinne. “We are talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands, if not closer to $ 1 million, so that we replace all that food that we would normally produce.”
With only two episodes of rain this season, the Gibson now have to take more drastic measures to feed their cattle. Corinne said they have transported more than 500 cattle to a farm in Weyburn, where there is more herb available. She said a movement like that is risky.
“Bringing those 300 kilometers to that cattle, you know, we risk losing their pregnancies because they are raised females,” he said, adding that these long trips are extremely stressful for animals.
The Gibson are not the only ones who have had a bad production this year. Corinne said that many of the producers in their community have “wasted” a lot of their seeds, fertilizers and chemicals due to drought.
“You have to be resistant as a farmer,” Corinne said. “But we don’t know how many more years of this type of situation that many of our neighbors can really live.”
The Government provides harvest insurance
The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) will implement a low -performance double performance evaluation process to support Saskatchewan producers affected by poor climatic conditions. You are also encouraging eligible low performance crops that deviate to make additional feeding available for silage, grazing or bullets.
“I realize the dry conditions [producers] They are happening, “said Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture, Dayle Harrison.
Minister Harrison said that the new low performance threshold will allow producers to save the crops they have.
“That is an important food that cattle producers will require in these dry conditions,” he said.
Rain insurance is also available for eligible producers, with expected payments in mid -July.
Harrison said that these types of commercial risk management programs are always a “first line of defense”, but that the government can make changes.
“We are always open to listen to producers’ concerns,” he said. “We will be here to support producers.”
Latest Harvest Report
The last crop report in the province, published on Thursday, says that many areas in the southern parts of the province have received limited rains, putting more stress in crops.
The report found that all crops have been developed before “normal stages”, even more than last week’s report. He said that approximately half of the crops of autumn and spring cereals are in good condition, and most of the other half in fair to bad conditions.
On the other hand, for pulse crops and the “more” oleaginous crops, more than half were in good condition at the end of June.
Many producers have reported that dry conditions, heat and wind are causing greater damage to crops in the province, according to the report.
“More timely rain will be needed throughout July and August to maintain the yield potential for harvest,” says the report.
