Cypress County declares agricultural state of emergency following dry start to growing season

Cypress County has declared an agricultural state of emergency.

A dry start to the growing season made it difficult for many farmers to recover.

The latest crop report shows nearly 18 per cent of crops in southern Alberta are in poor condition.

The eastern part of the region has seen less rain than the west.

The disaster will allow farmers to access relief programs such as crop insurance.

Recent rains have helped the hard situation, but for most it was too little, too late.

“We felt it was important to help out, mainly, our grain and cattle producers here. It’s been eight years of drought, and we had an absolutely terrible start. There was no moisture from February till basically the third week of June,” said Blaine Brost, Cypress County Ward 2 councillor.

Cypress County isn’t the only municipality in the south to declare an agricultural disaster.

Pincher Creek did so last month.