INNISFAIL – A change in Mother Nature has diverted a near disaster for Red Deer County farmers.
Unlike nearby Stettler County, Red Deer County is not expected to declare an agricultural disaster in light of recent conditions.
“Things have changed a lot this past week. Since last Sunday (farmers) have been harvesting into the late evening and early morning hours,” said Cody McIntosh, agricultural services manager for the county. “They’re behind but they’re making a lot of progress every day."
The long-range forecast will be beneficial to area farmers, he noted.
“If that (forecast) is true, I think we’ll be in a much better situation by the end of that (two-week period),” he said, noting the impact of the recent, cold, wet weather. “I think everybody has suffered some quality loss and some yield loss.
“For all of the swings (ups and downs) that we had this year, from what we’re hearing with the harvest, the yield is down a bit and the quality is down a bit, but it’s not looking like a complete loss,” he added.
“I think (farmers) are relieved to get out there, but really, right now they just got to go to work and get it done for the next week.”
During his 11 years with Red Deer County it has never declared an agricultural disaster, McIntosh noted.
“It’s hard to declare a disaster. These things are very regional,” he said. “We have a belt that had adequate, average moisture. Then on the other side, the east and west side of the county, we were very dry,” explained McIntosh. “So it’s hard to have a blanket statement that we have a disaster on our hands when some guys are OK.”
County mayor Jim Wood said with a change in the weather things are looking up for the municipality's farmers.
“We’re seeing the combines out there and they’re moving,” he said. “There’s a lot of crops to be harvested yet in Red Deer County, but there’s progress being made every single day now.”
While it’s not a disaster situation it is one that is changing the profitability of county farmers, noted Wood.
“It’s hurting their bottom line,” he said.
“We’re not prepared to declare a disaster at this time. We are monitoring all situations at all times and we’re working to hear from our agriculture producers,” added Wood. “If there’s anything we can do for them and if we can help lobby the minister of agriculture for certain situations, we will.”
McIntosh said farming is an industry that takes its gains with its losses.
“At the end of the year, if we end up in the average condition or slightly below average it’s just a below-par year,” said McIntosh. “It’s something that they’ve got to accept. We’re holding our breath, but we don’t want to call anything a disaster at this point.”
