A county in Alberta has declared an agricultural disaster as the weather continues to impede their crop harvest.
Stettler County made the declaration during their council meeting on Wednesday, a week after a provincial report showed only 43 per cent of crops have been combined in the central region. That’s compared to the five-year average of 79 per cent in the same area.
The news comes as the county continues to deal with less than ideal conditions.
Dry conditions in the spring were followed by high amounts of snow in September and October. That meant many farming crops had to remain in the field because the precipitation made it difficult to harvest. It’s a major problem for farmers, who could see their product decrease in value as time goes on.
Cattle producers are also affected by the conditions. The low harvest means grazing land is still occupied by crops.
Council agreed on Wednesday that their declaration could bring provincial or federal attention to their situation. They hope the governments could initiate programming to assist the producers.
