Saskatchewan farmers account for half the applications to the national farm aid program, but only 16 percent of the money paid out so far.
According to Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance statistics, Saskatchewan farmers had received $11.6 million of the $72.9 million sent out as of July 14.
The AIDA administration had processed 3,368 of the 9,817 applications received from Saskatchewan. It was not known how many had been approved, but reports earlier in the week indicated about half had been accepted.
The province’s farmers have received an average payment of $8,000, compared to the national average of $12,746.
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“The AIDA program is miserably failing Saskatchewan farmers,” said opposition MLA Rod Gantefoer.
He renewed the Saskatchewan Party’s call for an acreage-based payment. Saskatchewan has 44 percent of Canada’s cultivated land.
“We’re suggesting that the existing money allocated for the AIDA program should be converted to an acreage-based program and that should be available to Saskatchewan farmers immediately because the cash is needed now,” Gantefoer said.
Federal officials have said acreage payments would be seen as subsidies and are not trade friendly.
But Gantefoer said other countries subsidize their farmers “in a major way and on an ongoing basis.” He said Ottawa has to do something to help farmers.
“The only country that seems to have rolled over in terms of ignoring our farmers is Canada,” he said. “Our farm families, many of them are very desperate right now.”
