After a fourth straight year of difficult conditions for local agricultural producers, the County of Grande Prairie has declared an agricultural disaster.
“County Council is very aware of the hardships that our agricultural community is facing as a result of the weather conditions,” says Deputy Reeve Peter Harris.
“By declaring an agricultural disaster, Council wants to bring attention to the devastating conditions impacting crop and livestock producers and request more support for them.”
In a release, county officials say between 40 and 60 per cent of crops remain in fields across the region, with current snowfalls all but eliminating the prospect of that number going down. It’s being reported by the county that regional farmers are trailing behind the average harvest process by about 25 per cent.
“The farming sector is vital to the County of Grande Prairie,” Harris says. “The effects of this agricultural disaster is felt across our communities,” he added.