Rumours circulating that farmers will not receive their full cash entitlements from the Canadian Farm Income Program are not true – yet.
The last of the applications for the 2002 claim year are being processed now and should be done in early February, said CFIP spokesperson Ellen Funk.
That’s when officials will know if there is enough money to pay the full amount to everyone.
“We haven’t run out of money, but we have to be careful,” she said Jan. 26.
Right now, farmers are receiving 70 percent of their entitlements through interim payments. The remaining 30 percent will be paid if there is money available.
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The federal and provincial governments set aside a fixed amount each year for the program. Only once has the federal government paid out less than 100 percent of its commitment.
Saskatchewan acting deputy agriculture minister Hal Cushon said the province has always been able to pay everyone the full amount in the past.
“We have $70 million allocated,” said Cushon. “The claims may be more than $70 million.”
Ottawa contributes $95 million to the Saskatchewan portion of the program.
As of Jan. 18, 8,800 Saskatchewan farmers had qualified to receive $108 million. There were still about 2,000 claims to process.
Across Canada, the total payouts so far are worth $318 million. This is the third and final year of the CFIP program.
Saskatchewan Party agriculture critic Lyle Stewart said last week that producers were calling, saying they had heard that CFIP money would be diverted to the new Canada Agriculture Income Stabilization program. He said that would be unacceptable.
That rumour wasn’t true, either.
However, Funk said farmers can roll over their Net Income Stabilization Account money to make a deposit on their new CAIS accounts.
Producers are receiving their options notices for the new program now. They have until March 31 to select a protection level and make a deposit to secure that protection.
Farmers have been worried about being able to afford the deposit.
“They don’t have to make the full deposit,” Funk said. “Putting down one-third should help quite a few farmers.”
If they choose to use their NISA money to seed that account, they can do that by calling the toll-free line.
Funk added that CAIS information sessions are under way across British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the next couple of weeks.
“(Farmers) should bring their options notice with them and we can walk them through it,” she said.
