Drought aid announced for Interlake farmers

The federal and provincial governments have launched drought support for livestock producers who are coping with parched pasture land and hungry cattle.

The hot, dry summer is limiting pasture growth crucial for feeding livestock. Such conditions prompted some Interlake municipalities to declare agricultural emergencies, including Armstrong, Coldwell, St. Laurent and Woodlands.

In response, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. will provide funding through its AgriInsurance program and expedite claim payouts so producers can quickly source livestock feed, the governments said in a joint news release. The program, which protects against shortfalls and losses caused by natural events, will include a slate of “practical changes,” Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said in a statement Wednesday.

Those include reduced yield appraisals for drought-stricken crops, deferred premium deductions for forage insurance and partial payments on forage claims, he said.

“We recognize how difficult this season has been for producers facing prolonged dry conditions and low precipitation levels,” Kostyshn said. “These measures will help get more cash into producers’ hands quickly, so they can make the best decisions for their operations during a challenging year.”

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. will introduce a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40 per cent. This will apply to cereal crops that are converted to livestock feed, including all varieties of wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, tritical and grain corn.

The adjustment was last activated in 2021, leading to more than 100,000 acres of grain crops to be converted to livestock feed, the release said.

Additionally, premium deductions on payments for forage insurance claims made prior to Oct. 1 will be deferred. Producers will receive partial claim payments on forage insurance and pasture days insurance claims when feasible, it said.

The corporation will also allow lending clients to defer loan payments, and will provide guidance on ways to finance feed purchases, the release said.

“Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy. We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions,” federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald said in a statement.

More than 90 per cent of Manitoba’s annual crop acres, and more than 7,400 farms, are enrolled in the AgriInsurance program. Support for the program comes from a joint agreement between the provincial and federal governments.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca