Rui Gomes/Dreamstime

By Jesse Gill

AGRICULTURE

Cypress County declares agricultural state of disaster

Jul 15, 2025 | 1:54 PM

Cypress County has declared an agricultural state of disaster in the county.

A news release from Tuesday afternoon stated that rain came too late for many farmers, and a local state of agricultural disaster has been declared by the country for the fourth time in the past five years.

The Alberta Crop Report from Friday showed 17.6 per cent poor and 37 per cent fair soil moisutre ratings as of July 8 for the southern part of the province.

This was an improvement from the June 17 report that showed that showed 35.8 per cent poor and 39.6 per cent fair.

Cypress County said that the south east part of the province is regularly drier than areas further west.

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“I know we had a bit of rain here yesterday, [but] the amount of rain isn’t helping crops,” Ward 8 councillor Shane Hok said.

“A lot of the crops are beyond help right now.”

The county declaring a state of disaster will allow producers to more quickly work with insurance claims and take action regarding crops.

If available, it would also allow producers to access relief programs from the provincial and federal government.

“I have had numerous calls that we have to do something for them because it’s really dry out there,” Ward 1 coun. Michelle McKenzie said.

The county had issued a fire ban June 27 due to extreme dry conditions which was downgrade July 15 to an advisory.

A number of municipalities in Alberta and Saskatchewan have already declared an agricultural state of disaster this year.

Greenview, Pincher Creek, Maple Creek and Fox Valley have all made similar announcements.

“The amount of rain that was just received in these crucial areas is not going to help save these crops by any means,” Ward 2 coun. Blaine Brost said.

“This will give them the opportunity to salvage some of the crops for feed, gives them an opportunity to make decisions best financially suited to them,” he added.

“Without doing this, it kind of has their hands tied.”

The recent moisture in the area had precipitation in Medicine Hat at 20.3 mm over the past 48 hours at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

In other areas over that period of time Irvine showed 23.6 mm, Seven Persons 18.4 mm, 26.7 mm near Bullshead Creek, 25 mm near Irvine, 19.7 mm near Lodge Creek, and 17.8 mm at Schuler.