(Resource News International) — Recent rainfall across some of the driest areas of Alberta should come as welcome news to the province’s farmers.
And forecasts call for widespread precipitation for much of the province over the next week, a provincial specialist noted.
Harry Brook, a crops specialist with the Alberta Ag-Info Centre at Stettler, said the traditionally dry eastern part of the province saw some much-needed precipitation on April 22, helping moisture levels look good heading into the spring seeding season.
The western part of the province missed out on that weather event, but Brook said forecasts were calling for widespread precipitation for most of Alberta over the next week, which should help soil moisture levels across the province.
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Hay and pasture lands will benefit the most from the spring rains, he said, but added that annual crops will also need the moisture to help in germination.
Spring seeding is only in the preliminary stages in Alberta, with farmers in the southern reaches of the province the most advanced in their seeding operations, according to Brook.
But it was still early for seeding in Alberta, he said, and activity usually starts to pick up in May.
