CAMROSE, Alta. – Alberta’s first cheques under its new disaster relief program have been mailed to farmers, says a government spokesperson.
Cheques averaging $30,316 each have been mailed to six farmers in the northeastern part of the province after the area suffered one of the driest years and lowest cattle prices on record, said Ray Block, vice-president of insurance operations with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation.
The $200,000 is part of the government’s Farm Income Stability Program implemented last year as a way of offering farmers a safety net without violating world trade rules. Farmers are eligible to receive the government money if their net income falls below 70 percent of the average of the previous three years.
Read Also
StatCan stands by its model-based crop forecast
Statistics Canada’s model-based production estimates are under scrutiny, but agency says it is confident in the results.
Block said two of the farmers were grain growers while the other four were cattle producers.
More claims to come
There are still another 206 claims worth almost $4.2 million to be processed. Many of those claims are also from northeastern Alberta.
“They’ve had their troubles in the northeast,” said Block.
He said the early response to the program shows the program “seems to be filling a need.”
The financial services corporation began receiving applications for relief in February.
While provincial cattle organizations opposed cattle being included in the program for fear it would trigger a trade action from the United States, many of the applicants are cattle producers.
“The market has shown they are struggling out there.”
