Wet weather has taken its toll on this year’s wild-rice crop according to a local expert.
Lynn Riese of Canadian Lakes Wild Rice says northern Saskatchewan received a lot of rain this summer and it can’t take much more:
“Well it’s not looking good in a lot of places. I’m getting calls from Turnor Lake and that area. There was water, high up on the west side, a lot on the Churchill, Pinehouse area there, it’s very high water.”
Fortunately, Riese says northeast Saskatchewan has seen less rain.
He believes this year’s crop could be similar to last year’s if the rain stays away between now and the end of harvest.
Last year Riese says he pulled a million pounds of rice out of the north.
He had been thinking he would get a million and a half pounds but strong winds at the end of the season blew much of the product away.
As far as prices go he says it’s too early to say how high they’ll get.
A lot depends on how much rice is pulled out of Manitoba.