Greenview County Declares Agriculture Disaster For Livestock Industry

July 8, 2025 –

“The Municipal District of Greenview has declared an Agricultural Disaster specific to the livestock sector in response to worsening drought conditions. The ongoing lack of precipitation over the past year, compounded by minimal spring runoff, has left pastures and hay lands severely depleted. These lands have shown no significant recovery due to continued drought conditions. In addition, grasshopper infestations have exceeded action thresholds across the region, further damaging what limited forage had managed to grow.

While annual crop failure has not occurred and Greenview is not declaring a disaster for annual cropping at this time, the sustained moisture deficiency during critical stages such as stem elongation is expected to impact grain yield and quality. Many producers are anticipating below average outcomes. Council remains cautiously optimistic, but a final determination on annual crop conditions will be made later in the season.

These challenges come at a particularly vulnerable time for the livestock industry. Council is increasingly concerned about the mental health impacts on producers as they navigate difficult decisions regarding their operations. Some have begun tilling under hay land in the hope of producing green feed later in the season, while others are considering early herd liquidation and have begun contacting auction markets in anticipation.

According to the July 4, 2025, Provincial Crop Report (reflecting conditions as of June 30, 2025), only 21% of hay and pasture land in the Peace Region is rated as “good” to “excellent,” with 79.1% rated as “poor” to “fair”—a 39% increase over the five-year average. While provincial assessments noted no pests exceeding thresholds in the region, both our producers and municipal staff have reported significant grasshopper pressures, as reflected in Greenview’s submissions to Agriculture and Irrigation for recent crop reporting periods. Given these conditions, we strongly urge the Ministry to include Greenview in the regions eligible for the federal Livestock Tax Deferral program. We also respectfully request that the Ministry advocate to the federal government on behalf of impacted livestock producers to ensure they receive the necessary support during this critical time.” Tyler Olsen, Reeve, Municipal District of Greenview No. 16

MD Greenview letter.