(Photo from Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture)

By David Opinko

Federal supports announced for farmers facing extreme heat & drought conditions

Jul 22, 2021 | 3:08 PM

OTTAWA, ONT – The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has heard the concerns of farmers across Western Canada and is taking action.

Marie-Claude Bibeau announced a series of measures designed to help out agricultural producers who are feeling the effects of the intense summer weather.

“Our Government is working closely with our provincial partners to respond on a rapid basis to the evolving drought situation in Western Canada. I am here to listen and help those farm families hard hit by this extreme weather. Our Government is taking action to help them through the challenges we face today and ensure they are supported for a sustainable future.”

The first is the early designation of the Livestock Tax Deferral provision for prescribed regions of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.

It allows beef producers who were forced to sell a significant amount of their breeding herd due to drought conditions to offset the resulting revenues with the costs to replace the herd.

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Second, immediate bilateral adjustments to the cost-shared AgriInsurance program have been made to make drought-damaged crops available for feed.

These measures are meant to increase the amount of crops available for livestock producers in this time of need.

Third, provinces affected by drought can invoke the late participation provision of AgriStability to allow producers who have not yet enrolled in the program to access supports.

Finally, AgriRecovery assessments are underway across Western Canada. The federal government hopes to complete these as quickly as possible to evaluate how much money needs to be given out.