The 2024 calendar year was an interesting one within agriculture for farmers in the southeast, and in Saskatchewan as a whole. Multiple drought years previously had brought uncertainty heading into the 2024 winter regarding moisture levels for spring as snow was not abundant. Thankfully, some choice snow and rain events in late Winter and into Spring helped shape optimism for the growing year. Tyce Masich is a crop extension specialist with the Government of Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Agriculture who recalls the feeling as farmers began to get ready for seeding.
“The start of the year was pretty similar throughout Saskatchewan and Western Canada in general. Before seeding even took place, producers were a little concerned about dry conditions in 2023 and how that might affect 2024. However, in May and June much of Saskatchewan got a good amount of rainfall, which helped crop development and made producers optimistic about their yield potential coming in the fall.”
Farmers were optimistic regarding the yields thanks to rainfall and were needing them to offset the lower grain prices in comparison to the 2023 growing year. Commodity prices, according to a report from FCC, were down on every crop except Lentils in the year 2024. Canola, the most grown crop by Saskatchewan producers was $150 less per tonne than 2023 and Spring Wheat, the second most grown crop, was $80 less per tonne.
With razor-thin margins for error, farmers were needing the help of Mother Nature to grow a good crop and get high yields to offset their input costs. Crops started out developmentally slow, as due to cool and moist weather, they were not as actively growing as expected into the end of June. However, the hot and dry conditions would come to kick start the development, and they would stay there for the rest of the summer.
“As soon as the first week of July hit,” Masich says, “the water taps completely turned off and there was very limited rainfall in the southeast and in much of the province in general in July and August which definitely hurt crop yields in the fall especially as they were trying to fill heads and canola pods.”
The hot and dry summer conditions allowed producers to harvest their crops relatively early, and with little interruptions throughout the harvest season. Farmers reported yields as average, with cool spring conditions helping save crops from the drought in the summer. As producers sell their crops this winter, prices have remained fairly stable, and under what producers have gotten from years past.
Increased snowfall this winter has given hope to farmers as they need the water run-off to bring moisture levels back up to plant their seeds. Farmers head into the 2025 growing year with cautious optimism thanks to changing political landscapes, unpredictable weather, and less-than-ideal grain prices. Thankfully, much like the land they sow, they’re built to weather the storm.