Flooded agricultural land | “It’s hard on morale”

(Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan) Hard after the day in the fields of Quebec. The episode of strong Sunday precipitation arouses a deluge of worries among farmers whose land has been flooded.

Seven Guatemah agricultural workers draw and dig chains in a beet field in Lanaudière. They have been working quickly and tirelessly for hours so that the water has fallen during the Sunday rains on Sunday evacuated as quickly as possible. A real race against the clock to save the harvests.

“A chance that we have them, these guys. Without them, forget that, we would abandon the field, ”explains market gardener Martin Gariépy.

The 52-year-old farmer cultivates beets, carrots and corn-grain on 225 hectares. He has been working on the farm founded by his grandfather since the age of 16.

“I always said that it was the most beautiful job in the world, but there, it’s hard on morale,” he says.

In the space of two and a half hours on Sunday, almost 110 millimeters of rain fell on its land, according to the measures recorded by its rainfall. The stream of the Angels, which runs along the village, could not absorb all the water that flowed from the fields and certain ditches overflowed in the cultivated areas.

“Sunday evening, when I went to bed, it was not joy, let’s put. »»

It is the fourth year in a row that the producer undergoes losses due to the torrential rains.

In 2023, Quebec knew its most rainy month of July ever recorded. Then, in August 2024, it was the storm Debby which caused significant damage. As a comparison, last year, around 160 millimeters had fallen, but in the space of 18 hours.

Gariépy estimates losses in only one of his beet fields of 5 hectares between 30 % and 40 %, which represents between $ 100,000 and $ 150,000.

“Last year, we had losses of at least $ 400,000. There, we cannot say it. We are going to have a better idea of damage in a week and a half, ”he says.

Algae in the fields

A little further in the village, the Allard-Gauthier family, which cultivates potatoes on 530 acres, has also been widening champs in its fields. According to the fields, between 47 and 117 millimeters fell on Sunday. “We have been on this since 8 am this morning. We empty the fields as much as possible to try to ventilate this, ”says Sabrina Gauthier.

This precipitation was added to those who fell earlier this week.

During our visit, algae had started to flower in the stagnant water accumulated between the ranks for a few days. A mixture of algae and pollen had given the water a fluorescent green shade.

“It’s suffocating,” said Mr.^me Gauthier about the field.

It is still too early to quantify damage. Already, small white spots have started to appear on potatoes due to humidity. The plant leaves have also started to yellow, leaves are withered or covered with mud.

Their farm was founded in 2009. Here too, it is mainly the last three years that have been difficult because of the important rains.

“The yield is not there. When you pick up the bouette in the bottom of your trailer instead of the potatoes, you see it, the difference. Before, they were beautiful big potatoes. We start from a 500 quintals of yield per field at 200 and last year, we even had 180 quintals in certain fields, “she says.

“The cost of inputs rises, but the sale price does not increase,” deplores his brother-in-law Ghislain Allard.

Keyla Allard-Gauthier, 15, who works on the farm with her parents and her uncle, is already a great enthusiast of agriculture. Despite everything, she sees the future with optimism.

“It’s scary for the next few years, but we stay with your head high and we hope it will be fine. »»

“Clean” rivers

While climate change leads to episodes of extreme weather, Martin Gariépy would like the authorities to take more seriously the importance of better maintaining the rivers that line his farm.

Flooded fields

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“It’s been four years since I made the request to have the rivers cleaned,” he deplores.

Due to the cattails and the hugs, the flow is too slow. Agricultural drains cannot empty, he said. With neighboring producers, he even sent a registered letter last year to several neighboring cities and MRCs. They wanted to warn them “that from this year, if there is damage because of the rivers, we take a lawyer”.

For the president of the Quebec market gardeners’ association, Catherine Lefebvre, this case illustrates a much more generalized issue.

The biggest problem that we experience throughout the agricultural sector is the maintenance of rivers that is not adequate by governments and municipalities.

Catherine Lefebvre, president of the Quebec market gardeners association

“The administrative maze that it takes before a municipality or a MRC can maintain a stream, we speak between two and three years,” says Mr.^me Lefebvre.

At the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, we admit that the maintenance of rivers in agricultural areas is a “complex issue”.

“Extreme weather events in recent years have highlighted the need to act. This is why a committee has been set up at the Ministry of the Environment to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each, “said the press officer in the office of the Minister of the Environment Tania Michaud.

The works will begin in the coming weeks in collaboration with the Quebec Municipal Federation (FQM), the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ) and the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA).