Ontario’s corn the latest crop to be threatened by this year’s weird, scorching weather

After the weather in southern Ontario played hot and cold this spring and devastated countless orchards, another local crop is in a precarious place. Corn, that fall favourite, was set to bring in a massive harvest this year, but if the dry weather keeps up, Ontario farmers could stand to lose out on a big yield, according to a story in the Toronto Star. Corn prices have risen 34 per cent in the past four weeks, largely because of drought-like conditions south of the border (if the weather improves, farmers here are in a position to make a pretty decent buck). The next 10 days will make or break the situation: if there’s a downpour, the rain will undo the leaf-curling damage already done by the hot, dry conditions that hit right at the crucial pollination stage. Don Kenny, a farmer near Ottawa, wistfully recalls to the Star seeing rain clouds on a drive to Hamilton: “You’ve got to be a producer to know what it feels like” when it finally rains, he says. Here’s hoping the “million-dollar” rain arrives on time. [Toronto Star]