Heat spell, dry season hurting western Alberta crops
The extreme heat and lack of precipitation is being felt on farms across Alberta, and there's a high probability of it hurting this year's yield.
The quasi-drought is noticeable south of Red Deer and gets even worse south of Calgary, where many regions were already short of moisture as far back as last year.
That left farmers planting in dusty ground this spring, and barring a meteorological miracle, a lot of those crops won't mature in the summer.
"This is weather we're used to in August," Gladys Ridge farmer Leroy Newman said. "We've never seen it in June like this."
On Newman's farm, thousands of acres of hay, wheat, barley, peas and canola have taken a beating.
Some seeds haven't yet germinated.
"I don't know if you could justify even cutting (what's there)," he told CTV News Thursday.
On Leroy Newman's farm, thousands of acres of hay, wheat, barley, peas and canola have taken a beating.
The latest provincial Agricultural Moisture Situation Update said many crops may be experiencing early signs of moisture stress.
"Currently," the late April report reads, "moisture reserves are extremely low across many areas and timely rains are more important now than ever. Many areas have received well below normal rainfall, a condition that persists since at least Aug. 1."
"We've had a couple times of rain this year and it's just not enough to sustain a crop where there's no subsoil moisture," Newman said. "The soil is usually like a big sponge: it soaks all the moisture and holds it in for these dry heats waves. We just haven't had any reserve for the last four years."
"A lot of areas in Alberta and Saskatchewan are into our third or fourth year of normal than drier conditions," Todd Lewis with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said. "It's frustrating. There's not much you can do as a farmer if it doesn't rain."
One bright spot for producers is that commodity prices are currently high, which means there is still money to be made.
But with increasing overhead costs on farms, this Alberta heat spell could be felt in Canadian cities soon enough.
Less production typically results in higher prices being passed down to the consumer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.