Kneehill County council moved to declare an Agricultural Disaster for the county at the Tuesday, August 17 regular council meeting.
The declaration was made in response to record low precipitation levels, coupled with a prolonged heat wave during the 2021 growing season which has compounded drought conditions across the entirety of Kneehill County, impacting producers from all agriculture sectors.
Provincial moisture and crop data, in addition to local data from producers, contributed to this declaration. Annual and perennial crops have suffered severe yield and quality impacts due to extreme environmental conditions. Livestock producers have reported poor pasture quality with little to no regrowth and are struggling to secure adequate stock water supplies, as surface water sources and watersheds in Kneehill County have also been impacted by the intense hot and dry conditions.
The declaration is being made to bring awareness to the difficult situation livestock and grain producers are facing and will continue to face in the coming weeks and months.
While municipal declarations of agricultural disasters do not automatically trigger access to increased funding programs, Kneehill County understands the importance of our agriculture industry and is committed to working with all levels of government to pursue support for livestock and grain producers throughout this difficult time.
