Drought has prompted the rural municipality of Maple Creek to declare an agricultural disaster.

The hardest hit areas - which includes Maple Creek, Swift Current, and Coronach - have only seen up to 75 millimetres of rain in the last three months, and only 20 millimetres in the last month.

Due to little rain, the entire area under the RM of Maple Creek #111 has been effected by drought, and according to Administrator for the RM of Maple Creek, Barbie-Rose Weisgerber, the pastures are depleted and some producers have had to move livestock out.

Feed remains in short supply, and to top it off, a hail storm knocked down some crops in the area, and Weisgerber says it's hard to tell whether there will be any green feed. A resolution from Council has asked for federal assistance to soothe trucking fees in hauling feed, and are waiting to hear word back from the government.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Thursday that Ottawa is granting tax deferrals to livestock producers in Western regions hit by drought. Weisgerber says she's happy the RM of Maple Creek was included in the designated drought area.

There are more than 160 of the 298 Saskatchewan RM's are currently in the designation.

The RM of Maple Creek  is one of the larger municipalities in Saskatchewan in land base, with 36.5 townships with a population of 1154 people.