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Thought Leadership Articles Impact of weather - U.S. and Canada

Impact of weather changes on crop decisions in the US and Canada

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PUBLISHED 16 JUNE 2022

In recent years, extreme weather events have become a growing topic in agricultural communities across North America.

To further understand the implications of these changes, Kynetec surveyed our online farmer panel, consisting of American and Canadian farmers, and focused on how weather changes have affected their row crop planting decisions. Almost 1000 farmers participated.

Results

Out of the responding farmers, nearly 70% highlighted that weather conditions had been less favorable for the preparation and sowing of row crops compared to the previous year; a clear disruption to traditional planting routines.

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Although the majority in both countries reported unfavorable weather conditions, it should be noted that Canadian farmers reported slightly more favorable conditions than their American counterparts.

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Significant crop planting adjustments

24% of farmers reported having changed their row crop planting decisions due to the recent impact of weather. A detailed look at the changes revealed that 13% of farmers adjusted their crop mix, while 5% modified their seed traits or brands, and 6% made changes to both aspects. This implies that many farmers are seeking innovative ways to adapt to the shifting climatic conditions. On comparing the responses from both countries, it was found that Canadian farmers were slightly more inclined to change their row crop planting decisions due to the weather, with 30% reporting such changes, as opposed to 22% of US farmers.

Regional Impact in the US

Our analysis also considered the impact of weather changes on different regions within the US. The Southern regions (Southern, Southern Plains) exhibited the highest percentages of changes in seed traits, suggesting that farmers here are striving to find more resilient varieties to cope with weather challenges. In contrast, farmers in the Western regions (Mountain and Northwest Pacific) showed the highest percentages of crop mix changes, indicating that they are diversifying their crops, perhaps as a strategy to combat the unpredictable weather conditions.

The survey results clearly underline the considerable influence of weather changes on farmers' cropping decisions, both in the US and Canada. It is expected that agricultural researchers, policymakers, and the farming community will all be working harder to understand the implications of the changes and the actions to take.

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