Rain 'what the doctor ordered' for potato crop

The P.E.I. potato crop was in desperate need of some rain after dry conditions during this growing season, and the rain that fell Sunday was just what was needed, says a farmer in eastern P.E.I.

"The quality of this rain couldn't be better, because it's soaking right in, as compared to a torrential downpour that would, a lot of it would run off," said Ray Keenan, owner of Rollo Bay Holdings in Souris.

"This rain is really meaningful because it's going right in the ground. So I would think this is just simply what the doctor ordered, really for the, to relieve these dry conditions that we've had."

Keenan said his potato crop was in critical condition.

Crops likely to see impact of dry weather

June and July were dryer than average on P.E.I. In Charlottetown Environment Canada recorded about three quarters of the average rainfall for the two months.

In the first two weeks of August, only 19.6 mm of rain fell at Charlottetown Airport, while the monthly average is 95.7 mm.

Keenan said weeks of dry weather may have already affected his potato yield for this year, but it's too soon to know how big the impact will be.

But he said he is happy to have finally had some rain.

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