Drought Devastates Saskatchewan Farmers, Threatening Livelihoods and Land

Years of severe drought have left thousands of farmers in southwestern Saskatchewan on the brink of disaster, with some facing the very real possibility of losing their land and livelihoods. Quinton Jacksteit, a farmer in the Rural Municipality of Big Stick, has seen his crops wither and die for the ninth consecutive year, leaving him with little choice but to salvage what he can for animal feed.

Others in the region are worse off, with some facing the threat of losing their farms, which have been in their families for generations. "It may be the end for them," Jacksteit said, shaking his head in frustration. "That could be a three- or four-generation farm."

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's drought monitor shows that swaths of the country are experiencing severe drought conditions, with southwest Saskatchewan being particularly hard hit. Trevor Hadwen, an agriclimate specialist with the department, said that the region has been severely depleted of moisture for eight years, with pastures drying up and ranchers forced to buy extra hay.

Key Takeaways:

For the ninth consecutive year, Quinton Jacksteit's farm in southwestern Saskatchewan has experienced severe drought, leaving crops to wither and die.
Thousands of farmers in the region are on the brink of disaster, with some facing the threat of losing their land and livelihoods.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's drought monitor shows that swaths of the country are experiencing severe drought conditions, with southwest Saskatchewan being particularly hard hit.
Pastures have dried up, and ranchers are forced to buy extra hay, with some reducing their herds or moving cattle to green pastures.
Crop producers are seeing a reduction in yield potential, with crops maturing rapidly and not producing as much seed content.
In Saskatchewan, Big Stick and neighbouring municipalities have declared states of emergency to spread awareness of the drought.
The province's Agricultural Ministry has stated that they are willing to work with Ottawa to discuss enhancements to insurance programs.
Additional changes to crop insurance are needed, including a per-acre payment or a program that would allow farmers to salvage seed without getting penalized on their coverage.

Statistics:

9 years: the number of consecutive years that Quinton Jacksteit's farm has experienced drought.
8 years: the number of years that southwest Saskatchewan has been severely depleted of moisture.
60: the number of active wildfires in Manitoba as of Friday.
65: the number of active wildfires in Saskatchewan.
50%: the expected cut in hay yields in Saskatchewan's northern agricultural region due to a dry spring.
300-400 km: the distance some ranchers have had to travel to find green pastures for their cattle.

Sources:

JEREMY SIMES; THE CANADIAN PRESS REGINA
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's drought monitor
Trevor Hadwen, agriclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Virginia Maier, reeve of Enterprise
Christine Strube, farmer and rancher northwest of Prince Albert
Saskatchewan's Agriculture Ministry
Bill Merryfield, research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada
Don Connick, director with the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan