The hot and dry conditions in eastern Ontario over the last week accentuate the worries of area farmers about the lack of rain.      

Michael Donohue has been farming in Renfrew County for 35 years, ” I’ve never seen conditions like this at this time of year”.    

1310 Meteorologist Jill Taylor says the average monthly rainfall for Ottawa is 90.6 millimetres and we are no where near that.    

Donohue tells 1310News, he is putting hay out in his fields now for his beef herd because there is no grass for them to graze on. 

“There will be a potential shortage of forage, because I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s commencing to feed now and we shouldn’t be feeding until the middle of October to November”.

As for the crops, he says the lack of rain is stunting the growth of his corn.  

“Drive around and the corn is a different colour   than you expect to see because all you’re looking at is the underside of the leaf because it’s curled up to prevent the sun from getting to the top of the leaf”.    

Donohue is worried that farmers could see a shortage of hay and silage corn this winter because of the dry conditions.