Following a summer of heavy rain and overland flooding, Lac Ste. Anne County is declaring a state of agricultural disaster.
In a statement, county officials said the wet summer has been dire for farmers and ranchers northwest of Edmonton.
The declaration, made by council on Wednesday, will ensure producers with insurance can seek compensation for their losses.
“While various degrees of damage exist throughout the municipality, almost all crop has been affected by current moisture conditions in a negative manner,” the county said.
“There is increasing desperation among the farmers and ranchers within Lac Ste. Anne County as they continue to watch the daily accumulation of rainfall further inhibit the 2019 crop year.”
‘Water-logged fields’
The relentless heavy rainfall has caused “incorrigible damage” to crops, the county said. The harvest is expected to be a poor one.
The wet conditions have also prevented many local producers from harvesting feed for their livestock, the county said. The feed that has been harvested is of poor quality.
“High humidity and the inability to access water-logged fields have severely limited the amount feed harvested to this point, with no forecasted change in sight.
“The small inventory of feed that has been harvested has been put up in poor condition with degraded feed value and potential storage issues.”
The county, approximately 100 kilometres west of Edmonton, last declared an agricultural disaster in November of 2016 when heavy snow prevented farmers from harvesting their crops.