Droughts in Saskatchewan - Case Study
Issue Overview
Agricultural regions in Saskatchewan and Western Canada have been suffering from crop death and a decrease in soil quality as the province suffers the worst drought of the decade (Siekierska and al.). Farmers in Saskatchewan have been continuously struggling to keep up with the global demands as conditions on farms are constantly declining due to the severity of the drought in the province (Hamilton). Western Canada has had record-breaking temperatures and extremely low rainfalls for the past decade and it has caused turmoil for farmers as they endure the destructive drought (Siekierska and al.). Saskatchewan is one the the provinces that is exceptionally susceptible to drought due to its …show more content…
The project started in 2013 and will continue until 2018. Growing Forward 2 was an investment of three billion dollars and it ensures that people in places such as Saskatchewan have the supplies to continue their agricultural production, no matter the severity of the drought or climate conditions. In addition, the program offers free courses on business risk management to educate farmers in managing dangers due to market volatility and natural disaster scenarios (“Growing Forward 2”). Many participants of the courses discuss with others about ways to reach their farm business goals and gain essential knowledge throughout the process. A single farmer can receive over $350,000 over the five year period of the project. The priorities of the project are to preserve water and energy efficiently, help make farms more adaptable to climate change, maximize labour productivity, respond quickly to risks and dangers and retain and expand existing markets (“Growing Forward 2 - …show more content…
If there is less hay, specific farm animals such as cattle are deprived of nourishment because there is not enough hay to feed them. A way that Western farms have been functioning is by getting hay from Eastern farms where production is better. In the early 2000s, a project named Hay West was established where farmers were given bales of hay donated by Eastern farms (Intini). Many farmers claimed that the Hay West project helped them keep their farms competent. Although the Hay West project ended years ago, farmers still continue to donate hay to others after seeing the effective results of the Hay West project. This solution works well because provinces with a surplus of hay can donate to other provinces with a lack and the hay amount evens out so all animals get fed. Using hay from Eastern farms is an effective short term solution for Western farmers to continue to feed their animals despite the poor farmland conditions (Intini).
Another solution to the Saskatchewan drought’s affect on farmland is dry farming. Dry farming depends upon the storage of the limited moisture in the soil but there are various methods such as tilling, weeding, leaving stubble or preventing runoff. Dry farming is very impactful on crops because it can make them drought resistant or drought evasive. Dry farming is a long-term effective solution that helps farmers use innovative ways to continue to grow crops without much water necessary and
Issue Overview
Agricultural regions in Saskatchewan and Western Canada have been suffering from crop death and a decrease in soil quality as the province suffers the worst drought of the decade (Siekierska and al.). Farmers in Saskatchewan have been continuously struggling to keep up with the global demands as conditions on farms are constantly declining due to the severity of the drought in the province (Hamilton). Western Canada has had record-breaking temperatures and extremely low rainfalls for the past decade and it has caused turmoil for farmers as they endure the destructive drought (Siekierska and al.). Saskatchewan is one the the provinces that is exceptionally susceptible to drought due to its …show more content…
The project started in 2013 and will continue until 2018. Growing Forward 2 was an investment of three billion dollars and it ensures that people in places such as Saskatchewan have the supplies to continue their agricultural production, no matter the severity of the drought or climate conditions. In addition, the program offers free courses on business risk management to educate farmers in managing dangers due to market volatility and natural disaster scenarios (“Growing Forward 2”). Many participants of the courses discuss with others about ways to reach their farm business goals and gain essential knowledge throughout the process. A single farmer can receive over $350,000 over the five year period of the project. The priorities of the project are to preserve water and energy efficiently, help make farms more adaptable to climate change, maximize labour productivity, respond quickly to risks and dangers and retain and expand existing markets (“Growing Forward 2 - …show more content…
If there is less hay, specific farm animals such as cattle are deprived of nourishment because there is not enough hay to feed them. A way that Western farms have been functioning is by getting hay from Eastern farms where production is better. In the early 2000s, a project named Hay West was established where farmers were given bales of hay donated by Eastern farms (Intini). Many farmers claimed that the Hay West project helped them keep their farms competent. Although the Hay West project ended years ago, farmers still continue to donate hay to others after seeing the effective results of the Hay West project. This solution works well because provinces with a surplus of hay can donate to other provinces with a lack and the hay amount evens out so all animals get fed. Using hay from Eastern farms is an effective short term solution for Western farmers to continue to feed their animals despite the poor farmland conditions (Intini).
Another solution to the Saskatchewan drought’s affect on farmland is dry farming. Dry farming depends upon the storage of the limited moisture in the soil but there are various methods such as tilling, weeding, leaving stubble or preventing runoff. Dry farming is very impactful on crops because it can make them drought resistant or drought evasive. Dry farming is a long-term effective solution that helps farmers use innovative ways to continue to grow crops without much water necessary and