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News
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Cold, wet spring slows down Oregon agriculture
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4/27/2011
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Article Content Suggested lead
The combination of wet weather and cold temperatures has delayed many farmers statewide from preparing the fields and planting the crops in Oregon:
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April 2011 will go down as one of the coolest, wettest ones in recent history for Oregon. Farmers have been itching to get out there and work the fields, or in other cases such as tree fruits and berries, the early growth and development has been pushed back, according to Jim Cramer of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Commodity Inspection Division:
CRAMER: "It's cold as far as bloom things go. It's too wet as far as planting things go. So we've got both of these things pushing." :09
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There have been just a handful of days in April above 60 degrees. Some years, it's over 60 for more than half the month. From winter freeze damage in the orchards of Milton-Freewater to the late planting of Malheur County onions, the weather is having an impact that could be felt down the line. However...:
CRAMER: "It's way too early to predict any doom and gloom for some of these things. We'll probably see things that, because of the freeze damage, crop may be down some. If the onions don't get in, size will be down some. But mother nature makes up for a multitude of sins, like weather." :18
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Cramer says there is plenty of time for things to warm up and dry up for agriculture. One plus this year, there will be plenty of water available for irrigation in most parts of the state. In Salem, I'm Bruce Pokarney.
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CRAMER says one positive from this year's cold and wet weather so far is a strong statewide snowpack that should provide ample irrigation this summer:
"Everybody is predicting above normal snows and water levels. That bodes really good for the guys in the Klamath Basin, of course, and then over in the Malheur area too. Those basins are very much irrigation water-dependent." :13
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CRAMER says it has been a challenging spring so far for many producers who have to wait to some of the normal things associated with raising a crop. He says farmers are hoping conditions will catch up soon:
"Mother nature can make some ground here. But obviously they have a schedule for spray, a schedule for fertilizer. That has a potential affecting most of our crops." :11
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Full story
http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/110427weather.shtml |
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