Canadian farmers have sounded the alarm as unusually dry weather has led to drastically reduced blueberry harvests, which experts say will drive up prices, BNN Bloomberg reported.
"The dry weather has dropped most of our crops in half," said Terry Prescott, a blueberry farmer in Nova Scotia, per BNN Bloomberg.
What's happening?
Through September, many parts of Canada continued to experience extremely dry weather, vastly diminishing crop yields and causing drinking-water wells to run dry, according to CBC.
Areas in Eastern Canada, including Nova Scotia, have experienced historically low levels of rainfall.
"What's exceptional about it is not only the lack of precipitation, but the incredibly long periods of time between any rain whatsoever," said Ian Spooner, a professor at Acadia University, per CBC.
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a government agency, parts of Nova Scotia have recently experienced their driest three months on record.
Blueberries have not been the only crops impacted. Yields of apples, corn, beans, carrots, pumpkins, and potatoes also have been severely reduced, the agency said.
Why is it important?
As rising global temperatures alter weather patterns worldwide, food and drinking water supplies have been significantly affected. As Nova Scotia has shown, less precipitation can hurt crop production, leading to food shortages and higher prices.
The lower crop output has also hurt farmers and local economies.
"We have half as much product to sell, and half as much income and all of the expenses are still the same," said Prescott, per BNN Bloomberg.
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Not enough time ⏳ What's being done about it?
While large-scale agricultural purchasers can temporarily look to other regions to make up for lower crop outputs in one area, these are short-term measures. To reverse the trend of rising global temperatures and their impact on food supplies, farmers, and local economies, the world must significantly reduce the amount of planet-heating pollution entering the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, individual consumers can make their money stretch further despite rising food prices by shopping smarter at the grocery store.
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