Farmers constantly deal with uncertainty, and weather is a common culprit. Dry conditions this spring are beginning to affect the decisions producers are making. They have no trouble getting on the land with machinery this May but one mixed farmer we spoke to says the seed dealers have advised him to delay planting silage corn until it rains.
Although there’s moisture deeper down, the tiny seeds of crops such as canola sit almost on the surface where it's very dry.
The weekly crop report from Manitoba Agriculture for May 11 states, “Some farms are waiting for later calendar dates, better soil moisture, and favorable forecasts to continue with canola and soybeans…. Continued freezing overnight temperatures have limited the growing-degree day (GDD) and corn heat unit (CHU) accumulation, which sits at less than 50% of normal for the period.”
This part of Manitoba is a week away from the average date of the last frost. It’s still too soon to panic. According to "Windy" and Environment Canada, significant rain is10 days away - May 23 at least. But don't hold me to that - it's the weather.
