Lack of rain means Saskatchewan producers get a head start on seeding

Todd Lewis has been farming South of Gray, Saskatchewan for the last 40-5 years and over his time in the field he has seen his share of dry conditions through the late 80s. Eighty 889 was exceptionally dry. Even in the early 2000s we had a couple couple of really dry years as well there. Now in 2024, those dry conditions have a positive spin, a head start on seating. Normally, Lewis aims for a start date of May 1st. But on Friday, his family began seeding over 10,000 acres for the season. These are some pretty big days where farmers are putting literally 10s of thousands of dollars into the ground. We sure hope on the other end we’re going to have days where we’ll be putting money back into the bin, he says. The way technology has advanced over the last two decades has allowed producers to begin seating earlier in the year and come away with better crops. In those dry years and late 80s in this area, you know, South of #1 Highway, we really couldn’t grow canola with the old varieties. And now now, you know, it’s it’s common practice to see canola in these areas and South of here even too. Across southern Saskatchewan, very dry conditions exist. After a winter with minimal snow and a 2023 summer with hardly any rain crops, Extension specialist Matthew Struthers says topsoil moisture levels could be quickly depleted. Right now, the name of the game is moisture. If you have it, you’re all right. If you don’t, you’re really hoping it rains here soon. So I think they’re just hoping for good weather. So hopefully we get some dark clouds down here in the southwest and and we get some rain. As for Lewis, he hopes rain is on the way soon. Even if it delays the final days of seating, we certainly won’t be sad about a rain delay this this spring. If we get get rain in a week or 10 days and have to stop seeing, that’ll be fine. Andrew Benson, Global News.