Late-summer rain won't have 'much impact' for many farmers, says P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture

'Unfortunately, we really needed it a few weeks ago,' says Greg Donald of P.E.I. Potato Board

CBC News · Posted: Aug 26, 2020 2:25 PM AT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, says the late rains likely did not come soon enough for some potato farmers.

Tuesday's rain was a welcome sight for many Island farmers, but in the end it might not have a huge effect.

All three counties were under severe thunderstorm warnings as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The storms brought torrential downpours to some areas and knocked out power to hundreds on P.E.I.

Summerside recorded 48.3 millimetres and Spring Valley got 41.9 millimetres. North Cape marked closer to 28.4 millimetres and East Point only got 9.7 millimetres.

Robert Godfrey, executive director of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture, told CBC's Angela Walker that after a couple of dry months, he predicted it will help some producers get through the growing season.

"It will help size up those later varieties, help fill the pods and soybeans, help all those vegetable crops that come out in late October. So certainly welcome," he said.

With some crops getting ready to be harvested in the next two or three weeks, Godfrey said he wondered if it will be enough for them to recuperate.

"I'm not sure it's going to have much impact," he said.

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At least there's no blight

Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, agreed the late-August watering is likely too late for the crops that mature earlier in the season.

"Unfortunately, we really needed it a few weeks ago, and it'll help some, like the mid- and later-varieties, some," he said.

"But we hope now that we don't go from one extreme to the other."

On the bright side for potato farmers, there hasn't been a single reported case of late blight, which occurs infrequently but can be devastating due to high humidity and moisture in the potato fields.