Crops, livestock feeling the heat on P.E.I.
'We'll be approaching an area of danger for crops'
The blistering heat on P.E.I. is taking its toll on farms with the lack of rain pushing the province closer to danger, according to the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.
It isn't time to panic just yet, says executive director Robert Godfrey, but there's reason to be worried.
"If we don't have a substantial amount of rain in the next two or three weeks, we will be approaching an area of danger for crops."
Potato crops vulnerable
Godfrey toured the Agriculture Canada research farm in Harrington, P.E.I., on Wednesday and described the conditions — hot and humid with high wind — as typical of what farms across the province are enduring.
"The wind is certainly adding to the drying effect that we have on crops," he said.
The Island's lucrative potato crop is especially vulnerable now, Godfrey said, and needs rain soon to ensure the underground tubers grow to market size.
"I think it's following a trend we've seen in the last number of years," said Godfrey. "It's drier than normal. We've had precipitation in spring, but ... that's not enough rain."
Heat good for corn
If there's one bright spot under all this sun, it's in Island corn fields where the heat-loving plants have gone through a growth spurt the past 10 days.
"The heat's been good for corn," said Godfrey.
Dairy farmers are also feeling the heat.
Dannie MacKinnon has 14 high-capacity fans running night and day in his dairy barn in Brooklyn, P.E.I.
"You can't put a dollar value on cow comfort," said MacKinnon. "So we're choosing to give them some comfort inside."
Cows giving less milk
Despite the fans, MacKinnon estimates his herd of 70 milking cows is giving less milk — about a litre less, per cow, per day.
"The big killer is that when the cows burn hot and not eating as much, your butter fat content in the milk drops."
MacKinnon monitors his herd's health with neck collars linked to a computer.
"We got six today, their rumination is running low," said MacKinnon. "We'll analyze those six cows and see if we've got some hot spots in the barn, see if we can fix it."
MacKinnon and his employees are drinking lots of water, he said, adding his cows may be more comfortable than his staff.
The heat is making fresh-cut hay dry faster — many farmers are now cutting a second harvest.
The quality is good, but MacKinnon said it is blowing away as he tries to load it for silage.