The monster downpour that hit the London region just before the weekend, plunging the area into pre-sunset darkness, fell short of what parched farmers in Southwestern Ontario’s farm belt say they need. One of the nation’s richest farming areas has been withering under moderate drought conditions, and all-important cash crops like corn and soybeans are bearing the brunt of it, said Barry Senft, chief executdive of the Grain Farmers of Ontario. “(The rain) helped out some farmers, but overall there’re still a lot of farmers that are in some challenging growing situations,” he said. Unless there’s more rain — and fast — there will be a financial fallout, he added. One to three inches of rain over a two-day period is what Senft said he hopes for. Corn, he said, will be most affected by the dry weather, but with enough rain it could recover. The area soybean crop should also be fine, provided there’s good rain in the next few weeks, he said. The immediate outlook doesn’t look too sunny for farmers, though. Sweltering temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s are forecast until Tuesday. Some relief could come Wednesday, with showers forecast until Friday. “It’s the best of times and the worst of times,” said Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Don McCabe. “The London area and portions of the southwest are very fortunate to have received good water, but it’s not enough to remove concerns for the longer term.” And the concern isn’t just for the region’s largest cash crops. Farmers are also worried about other crops that have higher market value, such as peaches, cherries, peas and sweet corn. “Any rain right now is a good rain because right now our crops are continuing to develop and some crops are coming in to their harvest state,” said McCabe. Wheat is about to be harvested, so a healthy rainfall won’t be enough to help it now, added McCabe. If the hot, dry weather persists, many Ontario famers may have to fall back on their crop insurance. About 75 per cent of Ontario farmers are enrolled in the insurance program “for exactly this reason,” said Senft. Source - http://www.lfpress.com/