Ontario crop and pasture conditions have shown marked improvement from the dry old days of the early summer.
Satellite maps that are part of Statistics Canada’s Crop Condition Assessment Program tell the tale quite clearly. The first map, shown below, shows conditions for the period May 29 –June 4, with much of the province’s primary southwest crop-producing region painted heavily in brown, depicting much lower-than-normal vegetation conditions compared to normal.
However, the most recent map for the period of Aug. 7 – 13 shows a massive turnaround, with most of the province now showing similar to higher vegetation conditions compared to normal, although some pockets of brown remain – mostly in the area around Sarnia.
Much like the American Midwest, most of Ontario was unusually dry through the early part of the growing season, with crops suffering badly. However, rainfall began to increase in July and has continued through the first half of August, resulting in rebounding crop conditions.
