Sask. farmers stressed about poor crop yields, loss of income after weeks of dry conditions - Action News
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Saskatchewan

Sask. farmers stressed about poor crop yields, loss of income after weeks of dry conditions

Saskatchewan farmers are feeling the financial burden from crops stunted by continuing dry conditions and it's taking a toll on their mental health.

Industry members say stigma still exists around discussing mental health

Jeremy Welter is a fourth-generation farmer in Kerrobert, Sask., who grew up in the fields. He's among farmers across Saskatchewan who are feeling pressure this year, due to dry conditions hurting his crops. (Richard Acegoutay/CBC)

Farmers across Saskatchewan say they are feeling the overwhelming mental and financial stress of crop contracts and poor harvests as dry conditions bake their fields.

Only about half of the crops across the province are at their normal stages of development for this time of year, according to the latestprovincial crop report.

The report attributes the problems to lack of moisture, noting about eight per cent of cropland topsoil in the province has what it needs. And farmers can see the effects.

"You can very visibly see a lot of crops turning colour, and we're barely into the third week of July," said Jeremy Welter, a fourth-generation farmer who lives near Kerrobert, Sask., about 185 kilometres west of Saskatoon.

"These crops should still be grass green," he said. "They should be lush. They should be thick."

Welter said he's already planning for next year but isn't sure what to expect financially. (Richard Acegoutay/CBC)

Welter said hiscrop insurance company looked over his barley and a large portion of his cereal crops, and said they are complete write-offs for him.

Welter said thefinancial stress is a burden that keeps him up at night. From machinery payments, to groceries, to paying back the credit that helps seed the soil, heis under pressure.

"I feel like I did everything I could and, you know, you can't help but feel like a failure, even though you couldn't have done anything different," he said."You can't make it rain, right?

"Nothing can grow in a desert, six weeks of no rain."

Stress on farmers

Welter isn't the only farmerfeeling the heat's toll.

Adelle Stewart is the executive director of Do More Agriculture, a Saskatchewan organizationthatadvocates for mental health in the farming industry and works to provide resources to farmers.

Adelle Stewart of Do More Agriculture said the farmers' advocacy organization has started on a campaign to provide a national phone line to farmers in need of mental health support. (Richard Acegoutay/CBC)

When asked what she was hearing from farmers, Stewart summarized it in four words.

"Extreme stress, desperation, crisis," she said.

"What we're seeing right now is unprecedented and only seems to be getting worse with no rain in the forecast."

Stewart saidher organization often hears from farmers and producers look for mental health resources around fall or late August, during the stressful harvest season. This year, they've already been hearing a lot from farmers, she said, including one who had to use bath water for their plants.

"We know producers [whose]crops this year aren't any higher than the stubble they left in the field last year," Stewart said. "There is no yield. Farmers are in contracts for their seed and grain that they're not going to be able to fulfil."

Land near Kerrobert in southern Saskatchewan is dry and cracked from a lack of moisture in the region. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)

Stigma in the industry

While some farmers, like Welter, have spoken about the stress from this year's harvest, Lesley Kelly saidit's very commonin the industry for people to try to deal with it alone.

"You hear that farmers have to tough it out and boys don't cry, or men don't cry, and that does have a detriment to our mental health," Kelly, a Do More Agriculture co-founder, told Leisha Grebinski on CBC's Saskatoon Morning.

She said the proper next steps are connecting rural communities with the proper health services when they need it.

Do More Agriculture is working on a national phone line that would provide farmers with mental health professionals knowledgeable about agriculture, Stewart said.

Levi Hull and his family farm in Willowbrook, about 45 kilometres west of Yorkton, Sask. He has been a cattle producer since 2009. (Submitted by Levi Hull)

Levi Hull farms near Yorkton, Sask., in the southeastern part of the provinceand isa director of the Saskatchewan Cattleman's Association. He agreedfarmers often keep their emotions close to their chest and that the stigma surrounding mental health needs to change.

"You have family and friends and stuff like that you can rely on, but not a lot of people really do that and I don't know why that is in this industry where we're all tough," he said. "Maybe it's that we seem weak if we talk about it."

Federal response tofarmers, province

In mid-July, the Saskatchewan government announced the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation would look at alternative options for farmers with damaged crops, such as silage, baling or grazing.

The insurance corporation will also be doubling low yield appraisal thresholds for farmers who salvage their crops as feed, it said.

On July 14, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced crop insurance changes and the requests the province has made to Ottawa for help. (Matthew Howard/CBC)

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Maritcalled on the federal government for help, including designating all Saskatchewan farmers eligible for the Livestock Tax Deferral program.

Ottawa responded with support for producers, including agreements for crop insurance programswhich would open drought-damaged crops to be used as feed.

With files from Saskatoon Morning, Omayra Issa and Adam Hunter