The “volume and frequency of precipitation in 2019” prompted Lac Ste. Anne County council to declare a state of agricultural disaster on Wednesday, according to a post on the county’s Facebook page.
The post said the significant rainfall in the region “has caused incorrigible damage to the crops within the municipality.”
“While various degrees of damage exist throughout the municipality, almost all crop has been affected by current moisture conditions in a negative manner,” the Facebook post read.
READ MORE: Edmonton-area farmers unable to harvest crops due to heavy rainfall, unlikely to get second cut
Much of central Alberta has been mired in rainy conditions throughout the summer along with the occasional hailstorm. Last month, a provincial emergency alert was issued for Lac Ste. Anne County after significant precipitation caused flooding, slides and road closures in the area.
READ MORE: Flooding, slides affecting roads in Lac Ste. Anne County
Watch below: (From July 19, 2019) For Alberta farmers, this growing season has been a tale of two extremes – from too much rainfall to a continuing drought – and it’s impacting crop development. Tom Vernon reports.
It was not immediately clear what will happen next after the county declared the disaster. The Alberta government runs a disaster recovery program that can provide financial assistance to a number of different entities, including farms, for “uninsurable loss and damage caused by emergencies and disasters.”
In 2016, Lac Ste. Anne County declared a state of agricultural disaster because of weather conditions impacting harvest efforts in the fall.
READ MORE: Alberta’s Lac Ste. Anne County declares agricultural disaster due to wet weather
Watch below: (From Nov. 3, 2016) The harvest season has become so bad for Alberta farmers that several counties are now declaring states of agricultural disaster. Julia Wong explains on Global News Morning.
Lac Ste. Anne County is located about 100 kilometres west of Edmonton.