Weather Update June 24, 2013
Part of the reason for the delay in sending an update on the crop position is the diversity of the information we are able to obtain. The weather has been very mixed depending on where you are standing. A very general comment would be, things have been “wet”. Rains have been in abundance from the Rockies to Northern Ontario. In the past few weeks all of the growing areas have received sufficient rainfall and many of the areas have had warm temperatures to go along with this, and that’s the problem in agriculture – Rain makes Grain.
We are seeing widespread comments about flooding and too much moisture, we had up to 97 mm of fresh rains in SW Manitoba this week-end, and that spurred more rounds of “flooding” comments, but this is flooding is in the form of “standing water” on saturated soil. With average temperatures above normal, this is mostly good for “accelerated growth”. Once germination has occurred and the plants are into the V2 or trifoliate stage, they can withstand short periods of submersion with little negative effect.
Last week was another wet and warm week throughout the Prairies. The Foothills of Alberta and SW Manitoba received the largest amounts of rain, but we had adequate rains with some spotty storms crossing all of the areas in between. Temperatures were mid 20°s in the western Alberta, with nightly lows dipping to single digits. Temps in Sask and Mtba were also mid to high 20°s, and the nightly lows were down to mid-to-low teens.
There was a ridge of high pressure hovering across this region, helping with the drying, but more light showers are occurring across the northern areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan. There is rain in the forecast for southern Saskatchewan for the first half of this week, as this system moves easterly there is greater chance for thunderstorms and heavier rains in the South-east Sask and southern Manitoba. Once this system has passed, by mid-week, we are expecting cloudy and sunny periods with very limited rainfall in most areas. The temperatures will remain at, or slightly above normal, with temps being closer to normal in Alberta (low 20’s) stretching to above normal as you head east. (mid to upper 20’s in Mtba)
The areas that are dry enough for field work will be affected by the winds that remain across the prairies.
Crop progress:
Although we did have concerns about the snow-pack and the late planting, we got almost 98% of the intended crops in the ground which is still at the 5 year average for planting intentions. The weather has co-operated for the most part, and the germination was good to excellent in all areas. Some of the northern regions were a concern because of the later planting, but to date, they are doing well and catching up to “normal”.
The heat and moisture levels have been considered “good for the crops” and the plants are growing well. There are some minor concerns for the developing root network, at this point there is still plenty of time for additional development. If we continue to have a wet start to July, the stress levels on the crop later this summer could be a problem if things turn very dry. With plant height / Maturity back on track, the limited “flooding” concerns talked about above will most likely have little impact on the crop conditions or supply. The pulse and grain crops are both rated good to excellent so far. Final crop figures should be out by the end of this month.
About Globeways
Globeways Canada Inc. is a global exporter of top quality lentils, pulses, and grains for human consumption and birdfeed markets. Our reputation of honesty, integrity and reliability has earned Globeways the respect and loyalty of our many long-standing customers and suppliers. We pride ourselves in providing top quality product to our domestic and international markets our customers with the timely delivery of the high quality products for which we are renowned. Whether you are buying or selling, put our team of professionals to work for you.
Globeways Canada Inc. is part of Hakan Agro Group, is head-quartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and specializes in supply chain management of agricultural commodities such as Pulses, Oil Seeds & Edible Oils, Frozen Poultry & Meats, Dairy Products, Animal Feed Raw Materials , Spices, Staples, Dried Fruits, All Kinds of Jute Products, Packaging Materials and Special Crops. Hakan Agro's strategically located network of 26 overseas offices, warehouses, processing and logistics facilities currently exports 54 different food products from 52 countries to over 1000 customers in 82 countries.
The company has continued to grow organically and through associations with trading partners and other companies within the Hakan Agro Group.
