CHAT news file

By Dori Modney

WITH TOWN HALL VIDEO

Calls for drought relief prompts ABP to move as quickly as possible

Jul 21, 2021 | 2:39 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — There’s little need to explain the situation – intense heat is wreaking havoc on crops across the west and ranchers to locate feed for their cattle.

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) Chair, Melanie Wowk says ABP is working on behalf of producers to urge government action on drought relief. She says getting mother cow herds through this difficult time is a main priority but, it’s difficult.

“As this drought is so wide spread, it’s consuming all four of the western provinces, as well as a good portion of western Ontario, including our neighbours to the south – finding the feed, getting it to the cows. We’ve been trying to work with AFSC (Agriculture Financial Services Corporation), who has been very responsive in hiring more field assessors to do pre-harvest assessments on crops, trying to get these crops to the cows as feed.”

Wowk has been in contact with both the federal and provincial governments over the last couple of weeks.

“ABP has been extremely diligent in trying to stay ahead of these drought conditions, as well as providing solutions – not only talking about it but, providing solutions to both federal and provincial governments. So far, we have gotten the promise of the trigger for the agri-recovery program, which should help, as well as speaking with them in regards to a livestock tax deferral – possibly one that could extend over one year, for those producers that will have to liquidate a portion of their herd or possibly all of their herd, and they might be interested in re-entering the beef cattle business once things improve.”

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In terms of working hard on the issue of drought relief, Wowk feels they moved as quickly as they could. “We pushed the governments as quickly as we could, in realization of just how significant the conditions are, how wide spread they are and all the things we are facing, including our neighbours to the west in B.C., where their fires are just engulfing their province.”

Wowk says, “I hope producers realize these are what their check-off dollars are doing for them right now and the importance of having a provincial organization such as ours, in order to speak with the government and have action move as quickly as we can.”

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) hosted a Town Hall on drought last night. If you were unable to attend, you can view the recording now.

Updates and information came from:

— Dr. Melanie Wowk, ABP Chair,

— Karin Schmid, ABP, and Stacey Domolewski, Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), on production considerations through drought

— Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC).

Check in with ABP Daily as more information is available: www.abpdaily.com/tag/drought