Public weather alerts issued across the Prairies and farmers are feeling the heat
By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Producers in Saskatchewan are gearing up for earlier harvests as temperatures soar into the mid-30s this week.
The southwestern and western regions of the province will see high temperatures today, which will move east Thursday and Friday, an Environment Canada statement said today.
This heat has “brought the crops on quickly,” Todd Lewis, Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president, said to Farms.com today.
“Pea harvest has started, and desiccation of chickpeas has been done already, which is pretty unheard of in August. It speaks to how dry the soil conditions are and those plants are shutting down.”
Maximum temperatures are expected to reach between 32 and 36 C during the day and will remain in the mid-teens overnight through the week and into the weekend.
The extreme heat is affecting both cash croppers and livestock producers.
“The heat this week is damaging what little hay is out there,” Lewis said.
“The feed shortage situation is fairly dire in a lot of local areas. … Producers have been going far and wide to do haying in the ditches and road allowances. They are looking for pastures in the northern part of the province as well.”
Government programs like Crop Insurance and AgriStability are available to help with poor yields and feed shortages, Lewis said, but these payments are not immediate.
Farmers should take precautions this week to prevent heat stroke or heat exhaustion while working outside.
Environment Canada suggests:
- taking frequent breaks from the heat, spending time indoors in cooled buildings
- drinking plenty of water and other non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages to stay hydrated
More information on how to stay cool and safe during this extreme heat event can be found here and a full list of heat warnings and special weather statements can be found here.
Producers can expect relief from the high temperatures early next week.
georgeclerk/E+ photo