Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan provide additional support for producers; low yield appraisal change encourages poor crops be used as feed

Jul 13, 2023

Today, the federal and provincial governments announced Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is implementing extraordinary measures to offer support to Saskatchewan livestock producers facing challenges resulting from dry conditions this year, allowing additional acres of low yielding cereal and pulse crops to be diverted to feed. This incentive allows crop producers to make timely decisions to make additional feed available to graze, bale or silage.

When crops are severely damaged and the appraised yield falls below an established threshold level, the yield is reduced to zero for the Crop Insurance claim. In response to the feed shortage this year, SCIC is doubling the low yield appraisal threshold values allowing customers to salvage their cereal or pulse crops as feed, without negatively impacting future individual coverage. For example, the 2023 threshold level for oats is 10 bushels per acre. With a doubled low yield appraisal, the threshold increases to 20 bushels per acre for a producer intending to utilize the oats for feed. The claim is determined using a zero-bushel yield and the original 20 bushels appraised yield is used to update future Crop Insurance coverage.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.