Another county in Alberta is declaring a disaster this summer, thanks to the drought.
Rocky View County joining a growing list of other counties across the province that have been devastated by heat and a lack of rain for most of this spring and summer. In fact, the reeve of the county, Dan Henn calls the situation there, catastrophic. It was just over a week ago, Premier Jason Kenney visited some farms in southern Alberta to see the damage firsthand.
The impact is being felt by grain farmers as well as ranchers, and Henn says it could result in higher prices for consumers at the grocery store as we head into the winter. Yields from crops in the region are expected to be about half of what they are in a typical year. Henn says some farmers won't even bother to fire up the combine later this month, but instead, allow nearby ranchers to turn their cattle loose in the fields. The latest crop report that came out last Friday suggests only 20 percent of crops in Alberta are considered good to excellent, a far cry from the 5 and 10-year averages which are around 70 percent. Among other counties declaring disasters this summer, are St. Paul, Wheatland, Lac Ste. Anne, Foothills and Paintearth.
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