County of St. Paul declares State of Agricultural Disaster
The County of St. Paul declared a local State of Agricultural Disaster due to dry weather conditions and drought affecting local farmers.
County Council is aware of the hardships facing agricultural producers due to the extremely dry and hot weather conditions over the past few weeks. Council recognizes that communities have been affected differently, from the north to the east ends, with different impacts on crops and livestock. Due to this variation, the County of St. Paul has been monitoring conditions throughout the growing season before ultimately deciding to declare during the August 12 Council Meeting.
Based on July 17 to July 31 precipitation reporting, the County has moved from the majority of the region being in the low moisture category to very low moisture. Soil moisture reserves range from low to extremely low and, in some areas, driest; without moisture in these areas, the County could see total crop failures.
Based on the August 5 Crop Report, 58% of the County is rated good/excellent. Even more worrisome is pasture growth rated at 27% good/excellent. The first hay cut was 76% complete as of July 29 reporting, but very few second cuts are expected. With pastures this affected, producers will be struggling to find feed for their livestock to carry them to the following year.
An Agricultural Disaster Declaration is used by municipalities to bring awareness to issues that are impacting agricultural production. Municipal declarations do not automatically trigger access to increased funding programs, provincially or federally.
The last time the County of St. Paul declared an Agricultural Disaster was July 21, 2021, due to weather and drought conditions.
As of August 8, 2025, due to the recognized challenges across Alberta, the Provincial Government and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) have adjusted the low-yield allowance, enabling farmers to salvage crops for livestock feed to reduce producers’ feed-related costs. Producers should contact AFSC at least five days in advance of harvesting to share details about their situation and find out how best to proceed. AFSC will work with clients to complete a field inspection as soon as possible. You can reach AFSC at 1-877-899-2372 or visit their website – www.afsc.ca – for the most updated information.
To assist in the decision to declare, the County of St. Paul referenced the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA)’s A Guide for Declaring Municipal Agricultural Disasters in Alberta. This tool looks not only at current conditions but also at past experiences and evolving conditions that have impacted agricultural production and crop yields. It also provides background on the role that various levels of government play during a declaration of disaster.