EDMONTON -- Camrose County has declared a local state of agricultural disaster as extremely dry weather conditions continue to wage war on Alberta's crops.
Canola farmers are seeing damage to up to 80% of their crops, and cattle producers are struggling as the majority of their pasture lands dry up, according to county officials.
"We are in a one-in-25-year drought situation. That's how low the moisture is," said Paul King, manager of agriculture and environmental services for the county. "Compounding the lack of moisture with a significantly cooler spring, the two frosts back-to-back at the start of seeding in June really set us back."
King said he hopes the disaster declaration will draw the attention of provincial and federal government officials and provide assistance that the county so desperately needs.
'OUTSIDE THE NORM'
"This is a situation outside the norm. We have all these programs in place, but this is outside what we would normally expect our agricultural insurance to protect, so we need the extra help," he said, citing water hauling trucks, drought loans, acreage payments, and counselling as some of the aid measures he hopes governments will provide.
Alberta Agriculture spokesman Nikki Booth said there is no specific legislation -- provincial or federal -- that deals specifically with declarations of agricultural disaster.
In the meantime, farmers in affected areas are advised to seek support and assistance through a variety of programs offered by the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation at www.afsc.ca or www.agric.gov.ab.ca or by calling 310-FARM, she said.
This includes a tax deferral benefit for producers who have had to sell their breeding herd due to a drought-induced lack of livestock feed, as well as agricultural investment, recovery, stability and insurance programs.
Booth said farmers can also make use of the 117 weather stations, installed during the last major drought of 2002, for farmers to monitor historical data and trends in their area dating as far back as 1961 and purchase insurance based on that information.
The absence of rain has also hit the city hard.
TREES IN DANGER
Jenny Wheeler, principal of forestry for the city, said 20,000 of the 310,000 trees in Edmonton have had to be watered so they don't wither away. "We're just praying for rain."
Gary Chan, vegetation manager for the city's parks operations, said he has seen dandelions take over where grass has shrivelled dry in Edmonton's more than 1,700 fields.
"We are mowing the dandelions as quickly as possible and we will be doing applied irrigation to the 120 major sports fields in the city," he said.
It's necessary to get deep into the roots and make sure the fields are completely soaked with efficient water application, he said.
"You can aerate and fertilize until you're blue in the face," he said. "But without moisture you have no growth."
CLARA.HO@SUNMEDIA.CA
