The deadline for Saskatchewan producers to purchase calf price insurance is Thursday afternoon.

The Western Livestock Price Insurance program administered by Sask. Crop Insurance allows producers to lock in a floor price on fall calves.

Program coordinator Jodi Griffin says six percent of calves were insured one month ago, but that number has now doubled to about 12 percent.

COVID-19 has created a lot of uncertainty around the cattle market.

In mid-May, the provincial government announced it would pay for 40 percent of the premium differential for all cattle classes, retroactive to February 25th.

The May 28th insurance deadline was also extended to this Thursday.

The province and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association are pumping a total of 6 million dollars into the calf price insurance program to make it more affordable for producers.

The chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Arnold Balicki, is encouraging producers to look at the program to avoid market uncertainty.