For farmers in the Quinte area it’s all about the weather, and the hope for more rain.
Cool temperatures in May have hampered crop growth, leaving seeds just getting started.
Director of Grain Farmers of Ontario District 13, Lloyd Crowe, tells Quinte News the wheat is doing all right but the corn and soybeans, the spring planted crops, are suffering.
“We were desperate for rain. Desperate. A lot of the seeds didn’t even come up. A lot of people planted corn and soy beans. Half of them didn’t come up because it was up so dry.”
Crowe adds, “Because there was no moisture no matter how deep you put the seed there was no moisture.”
He hopes rain this week will help.
He called it a backwards year for farmers since May was so cold it set the crops really behind.
“Of course you know, there are record-breaking prices. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that’s going on right now.”
“Because of the weather and the demand. The U.S. demand. China’s buying all the corn and soybeans it can get.”He says, “The U.S. has run out of corn and soybeans and farmers have run out. Our bins are empty.”
