Torrential rains in July | A deluge of losses in the fields

The torrential rains of July damaged nearly 60% of Quebec’s market garden areas, reveals a survey conducted by the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA), which The Press obtained. The fields ravaged by these historic downpours recorded 42% losses. Never seen before, report several farmer associations.

“It’s certainly historic,” summarizes Catherine Lefebvre, president of the Association of Market Gardeners of Quebec. “It takes emergency help,” she added.

The results of the survey will be made public this Monday. Field vegetables, potatoes, processing vegetables, strawberries and raspberries: several farmers’ associations are requesting intervention from the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne.

“There have been committees set up, but now, we have the impression that things are stagnating while there are cries in the fields,” deplores M^me Lefebvre.

How is the morale of producers? “In the heels,” she answers bluntly.

5000 hectares lost

The probe by the UPA – the Quebec farmers’ union – was carried out between September 8 and October 10. Around 1,500 members received the survey and 280 of them decided to respond.

The UPA considers that the “representativeness” of the sample is “high” because it represents 50% of the turnover of the market gardening sector in Quebec and more than 30% of that of potatoes and strawberries and raspberries. In other words, it was mainly large producers who responded to the questionnaire.

Taken together, the areas owned by the producers surveyed total 20,253 hectares (ha). Total losses are estimated at 5001 ha.

And as for the vegetables that may have been picked, some are smaller in size or will keep less long once stored.

The damage is particularly high in root vegetable production: 64% of areas were affected by excess water. On the affected areas, field losses are estimated at 46%.

As for potatoes, 50% of the areas were affected by excess water, for 35% losses.

“I’m 51 years old and this is the first time I haven’t done irrigation! », exclaims Francis Desrochers, president of Quebec Potato Producers.

Another example, green peas: 88% of the areas were affected by water, for 48% losses.

“I have been a producer for around thirty years and a year like this year, I have never seen this,” confirms the president of the Producers of Transformation Vegetables of Quebec, Pascal Forest.

“And that is a very, very, very ordinary non-consideration,” added Mr. Forest.

As for strawberries and raspberries, 73% of the areas were affected by excess water, for 44% losses.

“These are very significant losses. I have been in production and marketing for 48 years, and I have never seen weather like this,” explains Michel Sauriol, president of the Association of Strawberry and Raspberry Producers of Quebec.

“What I see right now is significant distress on the part of producers. For what ? Because the government is not moving. He always falls back on the same thing, the programs in place, when it is clear that it is not doing the job. »

Record rain, torrent of complaints

Quebec experienced its rainiest month of July last summer. According to Environment Canada, 212 mm of rain fell in Montreal in July, shattering the record of 183 mm from July 1980.

In Quebec, 265 mm of precipitation fell in July, while the previous record dated from 1992, with a fall of 256 mm of rain. These two stations have been recording data since the early 1940s.

Nearly 40% of survey respondents were located in Montérégie and 17% in Lanaudière.

As of October 27, 7,064 notices of damage were registered with La Financière agricole du Québec – the farmers’ insurer – compared to 3,813 last year. (Note, these numbers also include damage notices for other types of crops such as cereals, grains and maple syrup.)

“Financière agricole told us that 100% of insured producers had opened a damage notice,” explains M.^me Lefebvre.

For everyone, one observation is clear with the advent of climate change: it is time to reform crop insurance programs, which are no longer adapted to the increasingly frequent episodes of extreme weather. As proof, barely 50% of market garden producers and around 30% of strawberry and raspberry producers choose to take out insurance, illustrates M^me Lefebre. The criteria for being compensated would be too restrictive, she maintains.

“If you realize that you have a majority of farms that are not insured, it is indicative that there is something that is not working,” underlines Patrice Léger Bourgoin, general director of the Association of market gardeners of Quebec. “What does it mean to have food autonomy targets in Quebec if, behind these targets, there is no structure, there is no game plan for damage ? “, he asks himself.

“There must be an awakening happening with climate change,” he adds. We must be able to adapt to this new reality which will become the norm. And you can’t do it with programs that were put in place 30 years ago. »

Testimonial from a producer

Philippe Le Guerrier is a producer in Blainville. “We have always been at the mercy of Mother Nature, I have seen some extreme cases, but not as extreme as this summer,” underlines the man who had to abandon a field of ripe beets and record heavy losses in a carrot field.

“I had a moment when there was 60 mm in an hour,” says Philippe Le Guerrier. It makes no sense to say [qu’]we will produce with such strong storms. I’ve never seen that. »

Farmer 5^e generation, his family has been producing on the same land for 167 years. “Faced with climate change, if there is no one who gets help in agriculture, I believe that there will simply be no more. »

Sunday evening, Minister Lamontagne’s office indicated that it was calling agricultural associations to a meeting with La Financière agricole on November 8.