Cool Weather Hurting Wild Rice Harvest

Cool Weather Hurting Wild Rice Harvest

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 14:11

A wild rice expert with Saskatchewan Agriculture says northern growers need some warm weather soon.

Gerry Ivanochko notes this year’s harvest is about two weeks behind, mainly due to cool, wet conditions.

Ivanochko says conditions looked quite promising around three weeks ago — but that situation disappeared with the sunshine.

He says harvesters could really use temperatures of at least 15 degrees Celsius.

Ivanochko adds the quality of the rice is down, as well.

However, he says prices are up — mainly because of a lack of product caused by three consecutive poor harvests in this province.

Ivanochko adds most of this year’s product has come out of central regions in northern Saskatchewan.