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CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
'As a farmer, it's depressing': Southwest Sask. sees less than 25% of normal rainfall in June
Several farmers in southwestern Saskatchewan say their crops are withering and dying before their eyes. In the rural municipality of Big Stick, there was a "half inch" of rain for the whole month, said Reeve Quinton Jacksteit, a longtime grain farmer. "As a farmer, it's depressing to go out into the hot, hot, windy days and then watch your crops deteriorate," he said. "There's really not a lot of optimism." His RM is among at least four others in the area — namely, the RMs of Maple Creek, Fox Valley, Enterprise and Waverley — that have declared states of emergency due to drought. Data from the latest national drought report confirms what farmers there already knew: the drought in southwest Saskatchewan got much worse last month. The region saw less than 25 per cent of normal rainfall, according to the report. The Canadian Drought Monitor — which is the official source for monitoring and reporting drought nationally — now classifies some areas of southwest Saskatchewan as experiencing extreme drought conditions. Extreme drought is the second-most-severe classification on the agency's five-category scale and represents a one in 20 year event. From May to June, some areas of southwest Saskatchewan saw a "three-class jump" on the drought monitor's scale up to the extreme drought classification. Swift Current recorded its 11th driest June on record, according to the report. Jacksteit said if they don't receive "any kind of substantial moisture before seeding next year," he's not sure what they're going to do. 9th consecutive year of drought Like Jacksteit, Kelly Bakanec, a fellow grain farmer and reeve of the neighbouring RM of Fox Valley, said he has watched his crops deteriorate this season. "I like to drive around and check crops every night. And every day, the crop is going backwards," said Bakanec of his farm, which has been in his family since 1912. "If we don't get any rain in the next week or two, it's just going to burn up to nothing. We probably won't even take the combines out." WATCH | Severe Saskatchewan drought threatens crops, livestock: Severe Saskatchewan drought threatens crops, livestock 5 days ago Duration 2:00 Bakanec said he knew this year's drought would be bad right after seeding for the season. It's especially disheartening, because he said this is the ninth consecutive year of drought in the area. The current crop insurance programs were never developed for long-term droughts, let alone for nine years in a row, he said. 'Cannot sustain those kinds of losses' Without decent crops and with crop insurance programs "not doing what they're supposed to do anymore," Bakanec said the majority of farmers he knows work second jobs to supplement their farms. Bakanec has an additional job in the excavating business and all three of his sons also work off the farm. "Farmers are fighters," he said. "We'll make it work, but we're breaking our backs trying to do it." In the RM of Big Stick, Jacksteit said there will be big financial losses this year and that farms could lose between $50 to $100 per acre. Some likely won't be able to afford to farm after this year, he said. "We've been saying this is coming, because you cannot sustain those kinds of losses and continue," said Jacksteit. "There's probably farms that are going to have banks knocking on their doors."
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Everything is dying': Prairie farmers, crops struggling with yearly droughts
REGINA — It's the ninth year in a row Quinton Jacksteit's farm has experienced drought. The southwest Saskatchewan farmer, who also is the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Big Stick, says his crops are extremely short, and he plans to salvage most of them for animal feed. "They're not going to be able to make much of a yield," he said in a recent interview from his home near Golden Prairie, east of the Saskatchewan-Alberta boundary. "I'm going to scrape through and maybe be able to go another year, but I have a couple of boys that want to farm, and it's not something that I would recommend to them at this particular time." Others are worse off, he added. "It may be the end for them. That could be a three- or four-generation farm." Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's drought monitor shows swaths of the country have been anywhere from abnormally dry to extremely parched. Trevor Hadwin, an agri-climate specialist with the department, said southwest Saskatchewan, near the Alberta boundary, has been severely depleted of moisture for eight years. This year, he said, pastures have dried up and ranchers are looking to buy extra hay they can't grow. Some have also reduced their herds or moved cattle to green pastures. "Sometimes, that's been 300, 400 kilometres away," Hadwen said. "For crop producers, we're seeing a reduction in yield potential. Crops are maturing much more rapidly than you would hope and will not produce as much seed content." Alberta's Peace River region in the northwest, as well as the province's southwest corner, are also arid, he added. In Saskatchewan, Big Stick and neighbouring municipalities have declared states of emergency to spread awareness of the drought. Virginia Maier, the reeve of Enterprise, said her peas likely won't produce pods. Nor does she expect her durum to grow without rain. "Everything is short, everything is dying," Maier said. "When (drought) goes on for so many years, it's starting to get depressing." She said costs for fertilizer and other inputs have been high while crop prices are low. "I think we'll be OK, but there are others saying, 'Do I just get out and sell the land and rent it and just be done with it?'" In the province's northern agricultural region, a dry spring is expected to cut hay yields by 50 per cent, said Christine Strube, who farms and ranches northwest of Prince Albert. Strube said a recent decision by the province and Ottawa to allow farmers to sell their regular crops as animal feed without getting dinged on insurance will be helpful. "The key thing now is that we just get some consistent rains throughout the summer," she said. Jacksteit said additional changes to crop insurance are needed, including a per-acre payment or a program that would allow farmers to salvage seed without getting penalized on their coverage. "We've just gotten into a state where expenses are climbing and at the same time, our insurance coverages have dropped to a point of where they no longer cover the cost of that farm," he said. "We're not trying to be beggars or anything like that. We're just trying to make the government aware that our programs aren't working." Saskatchewan's agriculture ministry, in a statement, said the province is willing to work with Ottawa to discuss how they can enhance insurance programs. It said there are options available for farmers who choose not to divert their crops to feed. Hadwen said the summer weather outlook is not favourable for drought-ridden regions. "There's still a little bit of time to recover for some areas, but other areas are probably in for it for the summer," he said. Environment and Climate Change Canada's forecast predicts a warmer-than-usual summer with uncertain precipitation levels. Bill Merryfield, a research scientist with the weather office, recently said human pollution has been a key influence on hotter summers. Tinder dry conditions have also created the fuel needed to start hundreds of wildfires across the country, forcing thousands in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to flee their communities earlier this spring. As of Friday, Manitoba has reported 60 active wildfires, with residents of Lynn Lake now being told they'll have to evacuate for a second time. Saskatchewan has reported 65 active fires, with five communities under evacuation. Don Connick, who farms near Gull Lake in southwest Saskatchewan, said long-term planning is needed to deal with persistent drought. A director with the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, Connick said farmers should consider changing how they graze cattle and create a network to supply hay to those in short supply. More research and water retention ponds also are needed, he added. "(Drought) is happening year after year after year," he said. "Crop insurance has been very helpful in this, but again, they have limitations as to what they can do." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2025. Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Sask. RM of Big Stick declares state of emergency due to extreme drought
WATCH: The RM of Big Stick in southwest Sask. has asked for government assistance to help farmers during a tough time. Mick Favel reports. Due to extreme drought, the Saskatchewan rural municipality of Big Stick has declared a state of emergency. This is the ninth year in a row the area has been dealing with drought-like conditions. Reeve of the RM Quinton Jacksteit explained that several areas saw a half inch or less moisture. 'Over that period of time, our crops have rapidly deteriorated. We have crops being written off in the middle of June,' he said. Garner Deobald, the former president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, said farming has always had its unique challenges in the area, but this past year has been extremely tough. 'We always say, even in good years we're a week away from a drought if conditions turn,' he said. 'It seems to be cyclical and when you're stuck in this weather pattern here, it puts everybody in a tough situation,' he added. Jacksteit said the RM is a unique area of the province for farm production. RM of Big Stick The RM of Big Stick declared a state of emergency due to a extreme drought. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News) He said the RM hopes to be heard by the provincial and federal government on strategies to help keep their farms going through this year and into the future. 'Our insurance programs and everything simply aren't designed for this type of situation, and they are no longer meeting the needs of our producers,' he said. He concluded there are multigenerational farms in the area which are going to have to make difficult decisions going forward. The crop report for June 10-16 said rain is needed across the province to help push crop development before deterioration begins. The RM of Big Stick is located about 32 kilometres north of Maple Creek.
CBC
18-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
'Desperate for rainfall': Farmers, ranchers in southwest Sask. reeling from another dry year
Social Sharing A rural municipality in southwest Saskatchewan is sounding the alarm as the worst dry conditions in almost a decade push crops and livestock to the brink. The RM of Big Stick, located close to the Alberta border about 300 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon, has declared a local state of emergency, and more municipalities may follow as producers face worsening arid conditions. "This is year nine of a drought for us," Quinton Jacksteit, the RM's reeve and a longtime grain farmer, said in an interview. "Our crops, they're desperate for rainfall. "Some of our early crops, like our barley, it's really, it's dying in the field as we speak." Jacksteit said the state of emergency was necessary to get the provincial government's attention and start conversations about better financial assistance for producers. "This [year] is probably the worst, simply because we're in the middle of June and we're already writing crops off, like this shouldn't be happening at this stage," Jacksteit said. He said that even if rain comes now, the damage is already done. "It's hard to have that optimism anymore. I see it in my neighbours that it's very stressful and there's a lot of hurt, "he said. "We need a crop because this year there's going to be financial losses, and they're going to be significant." 'No farm is prepared' for tariffs, says Canadian farmer | Hanomansing Tonight 4 months ago Duration 5:52 Cattle rancher struggling Ross Martin, a councillor for the RM of Big Stick and a cattle rancher, said he's only seen half an inch (around 12 millimetres) of rain fall this spring, and the grass is around four inches (about 10 centimetres) tall. "The cows don't have anything to graze on," he said. "If we don't get some more moisture, they're going to run out of grass before the end of the summer, that's for sure." Martin said he will have to graze his cattle on hay fields normally reserved for winter feed, which he worries will not be enough. "Everybody's worried," he said. "A lot of my friends on the RM are also farmers, and their problem is their crops. They've emerged, but they're only staying about four inches high. And so they're not going to have anything to combine if we don't get some rain." Both Martin and Jacksteit said the current crop insurance programs are not enough, especially after almost a decade of dry conditions. They said insurance no longer covers the true value of their expenses. "We definitely need changes to our program with climate change and everything being what it is," Jacksteit said. "Our government needs to be looking at these programs and … they need to be updated." He said some producers in the area could see losses of $50 per acre (about $20 per hectare) or more this year. "Last year, our durum was valued at $10.85 for the crop insurance program. This year, the government dropped it to $8.50. That's a 20 per cent reduction in our insurance," he said. He compared the situation to Alberta, saying the insurance programs there are superior. "The government has been very slow in reacting to this drought," Jacksteit said. "Now this year, we are in a dire situation. The government hasn't announced any program to help livestock producers." NDP calls for action The Saskatchewan NDP echoed those concerns, calling on the Saskatchewan Party government and the federal Liberal government to step in with support. "Our cattle producers produce the best beef in the world, and they need our support when we see the threat of drought putting livelihoods at risk," the Opposition's deputy agriculture critic, Trent Wotherspoon, said in a statement Tuesday. The NDP is calling for: A drought response committee with representation from municipalities, producers and industry groups. A 10-year deferral of federal capital gains for producers forced to sell off cattle due to drought. Improvement of business risk management programs, with equity for livestock producers. Jacksteit, who chairs Route21 — a group of six RMs in the southwest area, including Maple Creek and Fox Valley — said more municipalities are looking into declaring emergencies. "There will be a voice from a much larger area coming soon," he said. "Rural Saskatchewan has supported you [the Saskatchewan Party government] through all these years, and now we need your support. So don't let us down." 'We're very concerned' Garner Deobald, a rancher from Shamrock — around 75 kilometres west of Moose Jaw — and the immediate past president of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, said the dry conditions are just as dire where he is, with widespread crop failures, poor water quality, and little to no hay to cut for winter feed. "Yeah, the conditions right now, we're very concerned," he said. "It's dry," and hay crop is largely "non-existent," he said. The water situation is just as alarming. "We started to do some treating, some dams and dugouts again, just because of algae concerns, and the water quality isn't very good," Deobald said. "There are multiple challenges, and right now we're trying to figure out what we're going to do going forward as far as grazing goes for the summer. And then the big concern is having enough feed supply going into the winter again." Support for livestock producers is urgently needed, he said, especially given how severely the drought is shrinking the provincial cattle herd. "It definitely is urgent because most cattle producers recognize now that there's going to be a very poor hay crop in two-thirds of the province," Deobald said. "We're already to the point where we know that there's going to be a feed shortage in those areas." Deobald said the government needs to step in to help, not just with short-term relief, but to ensure the future viability of the cattle industry.
