An AgriRecovery relief package was released on July 8 for farmers affected by excessive moisture and flooding this growing season by the governments of Canada, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.The biggest portion of the joint funding announcement will be for Saskatchewan farmers, explained Bob Bjornerud, provincial minister of Agriculture. Of the $450 million announced, farmers in Saskatchewan will receive $360 million to take immediate steps to protect and restore damaged cropland.The excess moisture and flooding to crop land is pretty devastating, added Bjornerud. We will see the effect of this go right through the province, as agriculture is an important aspect to our provincial economy.Many producers in the area struggled to get their 2010 crop into the ground and those that were able to seed have seen their crops suffer due to excess moisture, said Ed Komarnicki, MP for Souris-Moose Mountain. Komarnicki noted on Prime Minister Stephen Harpers visit to flooded areas in Yorkton, and said, His visit shows that he cares about what is happening in western Canada and is committed to working with the provinces to make sure that farmers get the help they need.Through the governments action, producers will receive $30 per acre in assistance to adopt measures to protect, rehabilitate and manage affected cropland. In addition to this support, Crop Insurance customers will receive existing unseeded acreage benefits of $50 per eligible acre.However, Dwain Lingenfelter, agricultural critic for the New Democrat Party (NDP) had wanted more funds for farmers. We are very disappointed that the Sask. Party government did not pressure the federal government for more money. We had hoped that farmers would receive at least $100 per acre.The funding will be cost shared, with 60 per cent from the federal government and 40 per cent from the provincial government. The share for Saskatchewan represents the largest one-time provincial agricultural disaster response in its history.To apply for the program, producers have to contact their local RM office or crop insurance office. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance customers will not have to apply for the program, unless their established crop was flooded between June 20 and July 31. Producers not enrolled in Crop Insurance will have to apply for payment, as it will be administered through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC).I like the fact that the program involved a short two-page application form that is easy to understand, said Komarnicki. It is a pretty broad-based program and I think that farmers will be pleased. These funds might not be able to change the fact that these crops had been unseeded, or affected by the excess moisture, but it will definitely help farmers to get ready for next years crop season.
While the deadline to apply for the excess moisture program (EMP) is Sept. 30, 2010, Bjornerud expected that several producers would be applying for the program earlier. This funding is important to our producers so they can manage the affected cropland, and the government expects payments to start flowing in the next three weeks.There are many unanswered questions to this funding, especially in regards to when will it be released and how the funds will be given, noted Lingenfelter. The devil is in the details, and we want more information to be provided to farmers.Especially since for a farmer who did not get any seeding completed, only $30 an acres is a disaster, it does not pay for anything. Another question is in regards to who can access this funding, is it only farmers who have unseeded acres or does it also covered those with flooded acres? The government has not been very clear.AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial disaster relief framework and provides a coordinated process for federal, provincial and territorial governments to respond rapidly to disasters.
