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

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

(Image: haven't the slightest)

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]