By Joel van der Veen
June 21, 2010

DAVIDSON - Last week, Rob Stone finally finished seeding his farm for the summer - more than three weeks behind schedule.

Stone, who farms one mile north of Davidson, usually has his seeding done by May 25, but the recent spell of damp weather kept him from finishing until June 15. The process was "lengthy, difficult and way too late," he said.

Because of the delay, he added, he may still be harvesting into October.

"It jams up the whole farming season and shifts it into the wrong months," said Stone. "We need some sun to get things going here."

Stone is far from alone this year. Many farmers in this region and throughout the province find themselves facing a similar predicament, with the frequent rain throughout May and June making it difficult for them to seed their fields.

The Canadian Wheat Board announced earlier this month that between eight and 12 million acres of farmland would likely remain unseeded across the Prairies. The total seeded area for all wheat across western Canada is estimated at 19.15 million acres, the smallest total since 1971.

A CWB press release stated the situation was particularly poor in Saskatchewan, where 36 per cent of the crop was unseeded as of June 11.

Meanwhile, The Weather Network reported continuing rain last week, with some areas receiving as much as 100 millimetres during that timeframe.

The provincial government is currently in its summer recess, complicating the situation further. Minister of agriculture Bob Bjomerud said he's been in talks with the federal government to see what can be done.

Bjomerud said he has been touring the province this month and is surprised at how much water farmers are dealing with, especially in the north-eastern region.

"I've never seen anything like they've got out there," he told The Davidson Leader in a phone interview on June 16. "It's just one slough after another."

Bjomerud, who used to operate a farm east of Yorkton, said he is discussing options with federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz. The next crop report, due June 25, will provide a better picture of the situation.

Provincial NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter said the late seeding did not bode well for the upcoming harvest.

"It's a difficult spot," he told The Leader in a phone interview on June 4. "It's shaping up to be a problem kind of year."

He criticized the Saskatchewan Party government's approach to the situation, saying earlier cuts to agriculture funding will only exacerbate the problem. The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation has extended seeding deadlines, with an Unseeded Acreage benefit of $50 per acre available after June 20.

Some farmers, like Ron Hebron, are forced to leave parts of their fields empty and now must anticipate a reduced harvest in the fall.

Hebron, who farms near Stalwart, about 20 miles east of Davidson, said he didn't start seeding until May 8, about 10 days behind schedule. He had taken on additional land this spring, but ultimately he'd only seeded about 75 per cent of his property when he finished around June 9.

"When the mud settled, I only ended up with lentils and canola," he said.

Hebron said he's trying to stay optimistic, adding that a bad year helps one to appreciate the good years more.

Doug McIvor, who farms just east of Girvin, leased out most of his land this year, leaving himself with a few hundred acres to plant peas. Even so, he didn't start seeding until June.

Meanwhile, Gerrid Gust, who farms on the east side of Highway 11, managed to seed about 85 per cent of his land, finishing on June 15.

"The first two weeks of seeding went well, and the rest were just long and drawn out," he said.

Generally, Gust said, farms west of Davidson seem to be faring better, with those east of the town, in and around Imperial, facing greater challenges.

Despite the rain, nearby RMs have reported only minimal damage to their roads.

"Our roads are standing up reasonably good," said Lorne Willner, Reeve for the RM of Arm River #252. "Some are short of gravel."

Dave Greene, Reeve for the RM of Willner #253, said his region had no serious road problems either.

“I haven’t had any personal complaints,” he said.

The leaderonline is a division of The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada.