‘Lifesaver:’ Sask. ranchers, farmers celebrating widespread rainfall

Ranchers are rejoicing after widespread rainfall across the province over the past two days.

After three years of severe drought, many ranchers were either selling off mass amounts of cattle or making plans to part with them as a way of salvaging operations this year.

Instead, ranchers having trouble feeding herds were blessed with swaths of rain throughout central and southern Saskatchewan.

Layne Abrahamson runs a 360-cattle operation near Hanley. He said this rain couldn’t have come at a better time.

“We’ve just been relying on the small amount of snow that we get every year … so we were literally with our back against the wall,” Abrahamson said Thursday. “This was unbelievable. We needed it so badly — I can’t even describe it.”

By 8 a.m., Environment Canada said at least half an inch of rain had fallen in the area, with plenty more expected throughout the day.

Abrahamson said feed supplies for many ranchers are below acceptable levels as reserve grass and hay have been depleted. With very little moisture the past three years, ranchers have very little land left that can produce more hay.

“Every year is pushing you further and further, and pushing your land further and further. It was at a breaking point, and this rain is just a lifesaver,” Abrahamson said.

Luckily, Abrahamson hasn’t had to sell many cattle since the drought thanks to irrigation on his land.

That could have been a different story if the rain arrived a week or two later. Many of his neighbours weren’t so lucky as they have been frequent visitors to livestock auction houses.

“You’re really at the mercy of the market,” Abrahamson said about ranchers selling off cattle. “You’re selling because you’re desperate and you want money to buy feed, and then the market kind of tanks on what you’re selling. It really does put you up against the wall.”

Abrahamson said the area has been its driest in recent memory. Many farmers have been sharing horror stories from 1988, when that decade’s drought was at its worst.

“This (rain) will definitely help and it gives us more confidence to not sell off some of our replacements just yet,” he said.

Farmers also happy to see the rain

This week’s moisture is the million-dollar rainfall a Regina-area farmer has been looking for all spring.

Katelyn Duncan grows canola, lentils and durum and said the little more than one inch of rain her farm has received was the first real rainfall since before seeding began.

While that may be enough moisture for now, the forecast is calling for rain on Friday and through the weekend.

“We’re happy to have the rain but we’re just hoping that at some point now the taps will turn off, the crops will start growing again and we can get out spraying,” said Duncan.

Duncan explained there are risks to a high amount of moisture in short periods of time, like root rot issues in her pulse crops.

Overall, she expects crop quality to be quite good in her area with an average- to below-average yield.

Jim Hale farms about an hour northwest of Swift Current. While the city saw downpours and flooding this week, Hale said his farm has seen spotty but steady showers which is starting to add up.

Hale wouldn’t exactly call it the million-dollar rainfall, but is satisfied with what he got. He doesn’t want all the rain to fall at once.

“One event would probably be more damaging than several smaller events spaced through, so I’m not disappointed that this is kind of dragging out over a week and a half or so,” said Hale.

He described it as a good start to the return to average conditions. Hale said his mindset has changed and he no longer expects it to be a disaster year, but not exactly a bumper crop either.

“It’s encouraging to see clouds overhead and moisture back in the system as opposed to the really warm temperatures we were getting and then the really cold temperatures we were getting as well,” said Hale.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Andrew Shepherd