The federal government announced late Friday morning it is $77-million contribution to Saskatchewan’s AgriRecovery program, to aid producers impacted by drought conditions this season.
It’s part of Ottawa’s $219-million investment into AgriRecovery for Western Canada. AgriRecovery initiatives are covered on a 60-40 basis — Ottawa covers 60 percent and the province’s 40 percent. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said in a news release he’s heard farmers and producers’ challenges this season, and this investment will help them recover and “continue to feed Canada, and the world.”
“The livestock sector is a significant contributor to our provincial economy,” Provincial Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “It is important we are there for producers through the current challenges. The program will provide some financial relief to livestock producers, helping them to maintain the breeding herd by providing funding to address extraordinary costs caused by the drought.”
This comes after Saskatchewan announced it’s AgriRecovery contribution of $70-million on August 18.
Referred to as the “2023 Canada-Saskatchewan Feed Program”, it will cover 70 percent of “extraordinary costs” related to feed, transportation of feed and/or animals, and rented pastureland incurred after May 1, 2023 through to the application deadline of March 1, 2024.
Eligible expenses include purchased feed, self-hauling or transportation costs for feed or breeding animals, and/or land rented for additional grazing acres or additional feed production. Eligible animal species include beef cattle and other grazing animals, limited to bison, elk, deer, sheep, goats and horses. Breeding animals include females and males of the reproductive age of the species. A Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) is required to be eligible for the program.
Eligibility is area specific — a map of eligible areas is below — and is based off of the Canadian Drought Monitor. Producers can start applying next week to the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC).
(Graphic courtesty: Government of Saskatchewan)
Producers will need to submit their receipts or appropriate documents for the expenses with the application to SCIC. Eligible producers will receive an initial payment up to $150 per head.
The province notes “the submitted application needs to indicate the number of breeding animals on hand, as of August 21, 2023, intended to be kept until January 31, 2024.”
An online application form will be available on the Sask. Crop Insurance website, scic.ca.