The Saskatchewan government is providing $70 million
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A Saskatchewan ag organization is calling on the federal government to come to the table with support for livestock producers.
The provincial government is providing $70 million to livestock producers through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation to help ranchers overcome the challenges brought on by this year’s drought.
And now it’s time the federal government held up its end of the bargain, the chair of Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association says.
Farmers are already facing feed shortages and selling animals to get through the winter.
Federal support is necessary to minimize the effects of the drought, Keith Day said.
“The provincial government has recently announced their portion ($70 million) of the Agri-Recovery funding,” he said in a Sept. 5 letter to Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay. “To enable producers to properly plan for fall and winter, they need this funding right away. Therefore, the SCA believes it is imperative that the federal government also make monies available through Agri-Recovery.”
Delaying support could also reduce Canada’s ability to take advantage of trade deals, the letter says.
Alberta’s government is also working on a response for its livestock producers.
Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson said in an Aug. 21 letter that the provincial government is “working closely with the federal government to expedite next steps and maximize on cost-shared federal funding, which is critical to ensuring the program provides the maximum benefit to producers.”
The federal government has provided some relief to ranchers through the Livestock Tax Deferral.
Farms.com has contacted Minister MacAulay’s office for updates on when or if support announcements are coming for livestock producers.