Wet, wet and wetter.”
That’s how Mintoarea farmer Bill Campbell summed up conditions in his area of western Manitoba while speaking at the Keystone Agr icul tural Producers’ General Council meeting here April 14.
It also describes conditions in KAP’s other 11 districts across agro-Manitoba – from the normally parched southwest to the waterlogged Interlake and the flood-prone Red River Valley. The situation had farmers ruefully anticipating a late start to seeding and municipal officials dreading the looming road repair bill.
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“In the RM adjacent to me every road but one – east and west – was closed or flooded with water crossing over the road,” Campbell said.
Glenn Franklin, who farms near Deloraine, said 27 roads had washed out north of Deloraine.
There was so much snow in some parts of District 8, said Foxwarren-area farmer George Graham, municipalities gave up trying to clear them this winter. And the thaw was delayed. “Until last Saturday (April 9) you could snowmobile anywhere you wanted.”
Starbuck-area farmer Chuck Fos say predicted seeding won’t start until the first week of May or later, due to cold, wet soils.
Seeding will also be delayed in District 2, said Manitouarea farmer Rob McLean.
“We’re going to be close to a month away I’d say before getting on the land,” he said, adding last year seeding started around April 24. [email protected]
