Beaver County declares State of Agriculture Disaster – high moisture levels prevent finishing harvest or spring seeding

Beaver County is just the second county in the province to declare an agriculture disaster due to wet conditions hampering 2016 harvesting completion and 2017 spring seeding. The only other to make this declaration is St. Paul County.

The declaration was made because agriculture producers in Beaver County are struggling with extremely high moisture levels that prevented many from taking off their crops last fall. They are having just as much difficulty trying to complete the job this spring.

As of last week, many crops were still standing or lying in the field. Producers are being prevented from getting on the fields due to high spring runoff adding to ground already soaked with water from last fall.

Warmer weather for about a week dried some fields enough to allow the quick harvesting of some leftover grain. But in mid-May the rain returned and … for more see the May 23/17 Mercury