The Manitoba government is reviewing an AgriStability proposal put on the table last week by Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.
"Right now Manitoba spends $150 million plus each year in terms of support to agriculture. It's a substantial number," said Blaine Pedersen, Minister for Manitoba Agriculture & Resource Development. "This proposed AgriStability proposal, that the federal government's brought forward, will cost Manitoba approximately $15 million per year. So that would be for 2020, 2021, and 2022 and then whatever happens with the new agreement come April 2023."
Pedersen has concerns that the proposal could impact future support for AgriInvest and AgriInsurance.
"We will look at the proposals but farther down the road into a new agreement, the federal government seems to have implied that they're putting out some money now but they're going to claw back the money later," added Pedersen "That's really our big concern in this. We want to look at the long term ability of farm programs to make sure that they are bankable, timely, and that they work for the farm community."
The federal government's AgriStability proposal includes removing the Reference Margin Limit and increasing payment levels from 70 to 80 per cent.
Pedersen added that there's work to develop a more responsive program, noting that margin-based insurance is one of those proposals that is really gaining some traction. He says there is work that has been done at the FPT level. A report is expected to be complete in July of 2021 as to how that type of program would work.
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