With many crops still unharvested because they’re too wet, Yellowhead and Parkland Counties, west of Edmonton, have declared a state of agricultural disaster.
“There are many years where growing conditions are perfect for farmers to have a highly productive season,” said Yellowhead Country Mayor Gerald Soroka in a press release. “This, unfortunately, was not one of them.”
The statement says many crops are sitting under snow so farmers can’t harvest them.
At least two other counties west of Edmonton have declared similar states of emergency.
“These conditions of excess moisture have made it extremely difficult for Parkland County farmers, particularly in the west, to get into their fields to harvest,” said Parkland Mayor Rod Shaigec said in a separate press release.
Parkland blames large storms this summer bringing rainfalls of about 200 millimetres in some areas that made harvesting difficult.
Mark Cardinal, manager of Parkland County Agricultural Services, said unless the ground freezes and there’s little rain or snow, most of the crops will remain on the ground until spring.
Both counties are calling on the province for disaster programs to give farmers quick financial assistance.