This year’s wet harvest in Saskatchewan is resulting in a record-high demand for propane, according to suppliers.
The Federated Co-op say semi-drivers are waiting up to six hours at some gas plants across the province to pick-up orders of propane for delivery.
“We have been so busy it has been impossible to keep up, but our drivers are working as many hours as regulations allow, to help the situation,” Keith Morin, Co-op’s director of propane, said in a statement.
Propane sales in Melfort, used for the purpose of drying grain, hit a 10-year record high.
“The issue is not that there is a shortage of propane, but rather the propane demand has risen so drastically for grain drying that the whole industry and system is not able to handle the demand,” Morin added.
Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister David Marit said the state of propane is not at the stage where government intervention is needed. Marit told reporters he is optimistic for the upcoming months.
“I farm too and even down in Southern parts of the province, there’s crop out. We can only hope we’re going to see a nice half of October and a good November,” Merit said.
Morin says he can’t predict when propane sales will calm down, but said delivery trucks have been redirected and the company has hired more drivers to accommodate orders.
While Melfort is currently the busiest area for Co-op propane sales, it’s not alone.
Morin says there are also high demands in Saskatoon, Yorktown, and Meadow Lake. Co-op branches in Alberta and Manitoba are overwhelmed as well.
