Too much rain is hampering crop growth
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Jeff Leal, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, spent time with local producers to talk about the weather challenges this year. They also discussed measures farmers can take to ensure their investments are protected.
“So now this is becoming the near norm, these volatile weather conditions and we want to make sure (farmers) are enrolled in our business management program just to make sure they are protected in terms of weather patterns,” Leal told Global News on July 13.
And, of course, the issue with Mother Nature is that she can change her mind at the drop of a hat.
Last year, many parts of Ontario experienced drought-like conditions. Environment Canada and the Ottawa International Airport recorded the driest May since 1959, according to a June 2016 CBC article.
This year, it’s the rain that’s been giving farmers headaches.
A storm in May brought nearly 70mm of rain to parts of the Ottawa region. And Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Tuesday that a system could drop between 20 and 40mm of rain on some areas of southern and eastern Ontario.
All farmers can do now is wait for the sun to come back.
“What we need right now is heat, and more heat…and more heat,” David Whittington, a beef producer from the Kawarthas, told Global News. “No matter how old you are, we haven’t seen weather like this. Last year, we had the driest summer in a hundred years and now we have the wettest in 150 years.”
But it looks like more rain is in the forecast for parts of Ontario, according to The Weather Network.
City | Saturday, July 15 | Sunday, July 16 | Monday, July 17 | Tuesday, July 18 | Wednesday, July 19 |
London | Sunny with a high of 26 C. 20% chance of showers. | High of 24 C with risk of a thunderstorm. 70% chance of rain. Between 2 and 4mm could fall. | High of 24 C with a mix of sun and cloud. 30% chance of rain. | Mainly sunny with a high of 27 C. | High of 29 C with 60% chance of rain. 2 to 4mm could fall. |
Windsor | Mainly sunny with a high of 28 C. 20% chance of rain. | High of 26 C with risk of a thunderstorm. 70% chance of rain. Between 5 and 10mm could fall. | Mainly sunny with a high of 26 C. 20% chance of precipitation. | Mainly sunny with a high of 29 C. | Mix of sun and clouds with a high of 31 C. |
Peterborough | Mainly sunny with a high of 26 C. 20% chance of rain. | High of 24 C with risk of a thunderstorm. About 5mm could fall. | High of 25 C with the risk of a thunderstorm. 70% chance of showers and between 2 and 4mm could fall. | Mainly sunny with a high of 26 C. 20% chance of rain. | High of 28 C with the chance of a shower. 40% chance of rain. |
Brockville | Mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26 C. | High of 25 C with the risk of a thunderstorm. 60% chance of rain. Between 5 and 10mm could fall. | High of 26 C with the risk of thunderstorms. There’s a 70% chance of rain and it could bring nearly 10mm. | High of 27 C with the risk of a thunderstorm. 60% chance of rain. | 40% chance of a shower with a high of 27 C. |
Vineland | High of 27 C with 30% chance of rain. | High of 25 C with risk of a thunderstorm. 70% chance of rain and 15mm of rain is possible. | Mix of sun and clouds with a high of 25 C and 20% chance of rain. | Mainly sunny with a high of 26 C. | High of 28 C with a 40% chance of showers. |
Based on early reports from The Weather Network, parts of Oxford, Middlesex, Wellington and Simcoe counties could see nearly 35mm of rain fall between July 20 and 21.