Drier weather in southwestern Ontario may impact farmers' crops

Dry, hot weather in southwestern Ontario may have an impact on farmers' crops, cutting into profits this season. 

According to data collected by Environment Canada, after 9.2 mm of rain fell on June 20, only 6.1 mm fell from June 21 to July 4. During that span, three heat warnings were issued by the weather authority, with temperatures reaching the low to mid-thirties. 

Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the heat is "definitely more concentrated in extreme southwestern Ontario."

Although the rest of the week is set to see cooler temperatures in the region, the reprieve will be brief.

"There are already indications that we could see a return to warmer than normal weather and increasing levels of humidity as we get into next week," said Coulson.

More rain will not be falling in the region anytime soon because it will be elsewhere.

"There is some shower activity in the forecast for Thursday across parts of southwestern Ontario, but really, again, doesn't look like a widespread event," said Coulson. "It looks like a lot of our weather systems have been going up more through northwestern Ontario, the far north, and then sort of down into south central Quebec. It's left a dome of drier conditions, generally across much of southwestern and even southern Ontario."

Coulson said that until a big change in the systems' paths occurs, drier conditions will continue.

The implications could be catastrophic for local farms.

Farmers like Leo Guilbeault, who is also the president of the Essex County Federation of Agriculture, said the weather could cut into farmers' finances.

"Every day it stays dry, it impacts the yield," said Guilbeault. "At the end of the year, we're now left with less crop to sell, so if you have less crop to sell, that cuts into the profit margin."

Guilbeault said the crop yield lost as a result of the drought-like conditions is proportional to the loss on his profits.

"It can cut 25 to 30 per cent off the yield, which means 25, 30 per cent off the bottom line," he said.

LISTEN | Farmer Leo Guilbeault speaks on the impact of the hot, dry weather in southwestern Ontario: 

For Guilbeault's farm, however, "it's kind of a double-edged sword."

"Wheat harvest is just about to start. So, we like dry weather, but we also need rain for our corn and soybean crops out there because they're extremely dry."

Guilbeault said there's a key reason farmers and their crops need more rain to fall soon.

"It's like any other form of life," he said. "You need water to survive."

Maurice Chauvin, owner of Chauvin Farms in Lakeshore, Ont., said the dry heat that has lasted for weeks has caused some yield damage for his corn. 

"The corn develops [to the] size of its ear at the six-leaf stage, when it's only knee high, and that's when it was in the thick of the heat and the leaves were curling and it looked like a pineapple field," he said.

Chauvin said the heat also affected his wheat but he expects a decent yield.

He said Wednesday's rainfall is going to help the crops, but he's hoping for more consistent rain throughout the growing season.