Rockyview County one of latest in a long list to declare agricultural disaster
Severe drought conditions have prompted Rockyview County to declare an agricultural disaster, joining Wheatland and 16 others in southern Alberta.
Some areas are experiencing one-in-50 year drought conditions. Wheat crops are stunted and many have almost entirely turned brown after weeks of high temperatures and months of low rainfall.
"Cereal crops, the wheat and the barley, are going to be about 50 per cent at best," said Dan Henn, Reeve of Rockyview. "Surprisingly enough, the canola crops aren't as bad."
Not as bad still isn't good, Henn says, with canola crops significantly shorter than they should be.
In other areas sloughs that normally hold water are dried and cracking.
The federal AgriRecovery program is expected to be used to help with uninsured losses throughout the west, and provincial crop adjusters have been assessing fields over the past month to allow farmers to move ahead with their claims.
The local states of disaster will help producers qualify for any aid.
The major railways are now predicting an 8.6 per cent drop in the volume of grain being shipped this year.
The combination of low yields and high feed prices are expected to trickle down to consumers.
"I think meat and other food prices are probably going to increase significantly," Henn said. "You're going to see a lot of ranchers selling cows because they just don't have the hay to feed them."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.