Province expands water program as farmers face dry weather

CITYnews halfax / By Blake Priddle

Wells, streams, and crops are drying up across Nova Scotia, prompting the province to provide farmers with additional support to increase their water supply.

The province is putting more funding toward the On-Farm Water Management Program.

The $475,000 investment will be used to fund water projects on farms, including wells and ponds.

The president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture says this year’s drought has highlighted how critical reliable water access is to the success of farms and the security of the food system.

The On-Farm Water Management Program helps farmers strengthen water management, reduce fire hazards and continue operating during drought conditions or when the wildfire risk is high.

Related:

• Hurricane Erin stirs up strong winds and floods part of a highway
• Nova Scotian blueberry industry hit hard by lack of rain
• Halifax making water available for people with dry wells

The province says the funding will be used to support all existing eligible applications and allow for a second call for applications under the program.

Nova Scotia, eastern Newfoundland, southeastern New Brunswick and portions of Prince Edward Island shifted into moderate to severe drought conditions over the past month, says an Agriculture Canada update released.

Rainfall has plummeted to roughly 60 per cent of normal levels in Halifax, with 270 millimetres falling from April to the end of July, compared to average levels of 460 mm for the same period, the federal agency says.

Dry conditions have contributed to Canada’s second-worst wildfire season on record, dating back to the early 1970s. The fires have burned through an area slightly larger than New Brunswick.

With files from Jordan Omstead and Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press.