Island Farmers in Crisis Amid Severe Drought

This summer, a relentless drought has plunged farmers across the island into a dire situation. From vegetable growers to dairy producers, the scarcity of rainfall is wreaking havoc on the agricultural landscape.

Desperate Measures: Livestock at Risk

Wayne Simmons, President of the Federation of Agriculture and owner of Hammond Farms Limited in Little Rapids, highlights the grim reality: crop yields have plummeted. Alarmingly, many farmers are forced to remove their livestock from pasturelands, with grass simply disappearing.

For crop farmers, this translates to significantly reduced revenue, while livestock producers face soaring costs. To keep their animals fed, many are scrambling to import hay and other feed from as far away as Ontario and Quebec—much earlier in the season than usual.

No Grass, No Gain: The Impact on Sheep Farmers

Simmons emphasizes the dire situation for farmers reliant on pastures. "There’s just no pasture growing to feed animals," he explains. For over six decades, sheep producer Howard Morry has brought his flock to the island for grazing, but this year they were brought back home prematurely due to the lack of grass.

Crops wither: Farmers Hold Out Hope for Late Harvest

In addition to livestock troubles, crop farmers are facing their own set of challenges. Many are counting their losses as numerous crops have either failed or are lagging behind in the growing schedule. Thankfully, some areas are finally receiving a bit of rain, igniting hopes for a late summer harvest before the frost arrives.

A carrot farmer from the west coast lamented that his seeds never even germinated due to the extreme dryness, while a cabbage farmer in central locations faced a similar plight. He lost a significant portion of his crop due to drought conditions, and the remaining cabbage heads split open after a sudden rain—an unsettling consequence of the plants attempting to recover too quickly.