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
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.