The chair of the Manitoba Crop Alliance says farmers are anxious to get out in the field this spring.
"Compared to last year, obviously no two years are the same, last year might have been maybe a little more on average early because I think some guys were already starting to go at this time last year," commented Robert Misko. "We're looking at probably I think pretty well anywhere across the province, you're looking at least a month before we're getting started, so that's mid-May, which isn't excessively late but it definitely makes you have that wonder how's fall going to come along because you're definitely getting into a later seeding. That's provided the weather starts to cooperate because with temperatures in the single digits for the next two weeks, it's not going to speed up that melting process any."
Misko says the first crops that normally get planted are crops like peas and wheat which can handle a light spring frost.
He talked about soil moisture conditions.
"I think the optimism is definitely out there that maybe we won't be as bad off as we were last year with the drought. That snow and that extra moisture is definitely going to have some effect. It's got to be building up. I don't think we've completely rebuilt our reserves, but at least we've got a good start. You don't have to go to terribly far to the west and there's still some areas out there that are pretty dry. They didn't get a lot of snow and they don't really have any cover right now either."
Misko reminds farmers that it's important to seek help if they are feeling stressed out this spring.
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