By Kate Jackman-Atkinson, Neepawa Banner & Press

NEEPAWA, Man. — At the end of last month, 12 municipalities in the Interlake and Parkland regions declared a state of agricultural emergency. After a second dry summer, where rainfalls measured about half of normal, cattle producers are facing feed shortages. The hardest-hit municipalities — Alonsa, Armstrong, Bifrost-Riverton, Coldwell, Ethelbert, Fisher, Grahamdale, Lakeshore, McCreary, Ste. Rose, West Interlake and Woodlands — want to make sure senior levels of government understand the serious situation their residents are facing.
In the Municipality of McCreary, hay yields were a quarter to a fifth of average, and their situation isn’t unique. Not only were hay yields down, but the dry summer meant that many producers ran out of pasture and water, as dugouts and wells dried up.