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An unpredictable spring is causing problems for farmers in Saskatchewan, with snow one day and summer-like temperatures the next.
Jeremy Welter is the vice-president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS). He said that this year’s spring has had both pros and cons for farmers.
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“There’s a lot of benefit to it, with the moisture, you know. I’m sure it kind of goes without saying, but we’ve been behind the eight ball on moisture for the last number of years, and so any spring moisture is definitely good. It’s going to help us get a positive start,” he said.
“There are obviously concerns around the timing. Every time it snows, it puts you back a couple extra days as far as just getting machines ready and being able to get out and do some pre-seed fieldwork. It doesn’t matter whether it’s spraying or harrowing, preparation is as important as actually putting seed in the ground,” said Welter.
He said that livestock farmers are also running into some troubles due to the weather.
“The livestock guys are out there in the middle of calving right now, this extra snow every three, four days doesn’t really do a lot of beneficial things for them as far as calving goes. It makes it significantly more challenging to calve animals,” he said.
Welter said that depending on where farmers are operating determines the kind of timeline they’re now forced to deal with.
“I’ve got friends up by Lloydminster, and they’re hoping to get into the field somewhere between May 5 and May 8. I’ve got a buddy over by Prince Albert, and he’s very hopeful that he will be on the field on or just before May long weekend,” said Welter.
Many farmers faced with these delays may not experience problems until September.
“The biggest challenge to being behind in the spring is it puts your entire year behind, and so it creates challenges, or potential challenges, for bringing the harvest in the fall,” he said.
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