British Columbia has introduced a two-tiered crop insurance program that offers a basic plan as well as additional, more expensive coverage for high risk crops.
For some farmers in the B.C. Peace River district who left all or some of their crops in the snow, the insurance may be a year too late.
Clayhurst farmer Dale Vander Linden, who lives 72 kilometres north of Dawson Creek, sits on the crop insurance advisory board in his province. He feels the revised program should help people get through a disastrous year like farmers suffered in the Peace this year.
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“It’s meant so people can carry on, but they’ll still feel the hurt.”
He said unfortunately only a small percentage of farmers in his area took crop insurance in a year when many of them were unable to finish combining last fall.
Vander Linden said his harvest was about three-quarters complete, but wet fields prevented others from harvesting. Between Nov. 3 and 8 the ground froze and people were literally combining through the snow to salvage some of their cereals, he said.
No word has been received from the agriculture department about making the program retroactive to provide those people with some help with the harvest of 1996.
Basic coverage
Farmers may select a basic program which covers against natural disasters like floods, drought, hail or frost for $175 per crop. Vander Linden said the signup for this program should be fairly high because the premiums for basic coverage are cheaper.
The second tier allows for additional coverage of crops in high risk areas. Cereals, fruits, trees and vine crops can gain additional coverage and be fully paid for by the farmers who want it.
This new plan is meant to do away with ad hoc programs that have cost the province more than $53 million in the last 10 years.
A revised crop insurance plan is part of a federal-provincial agreement signed by agriculture ministers last summer. The province and the federal government each contribute 50 percent of the money for the program.
The B.C. budget is $9 million, $800,000 less than the amount set aside for the old program.
Application forms for fruit and forage crops are available now and must be returned by Jan. 17. Vegetable and cereal growers have until March 31 to submit applications.
