CALGARY – Alberta forage and special crops producers must wait until the new year for their share in a $50 million federal payout from the Crow Benefit adjustment plan.
The payments will be based on acres and will go to Alberta land-owners who grow forages, vegetables and other special crops as part of a farming rotation. Part of the money will be deducted for administration costs. Forage producers will receive the largest share of the money.
The program money is not a forage payment but an adjustment in land values with the abolition of the western grain rail transportation subsidy, said Ken Moholitny, director of Alberta Agriculture’s central support division.
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When the payouts for grain producers were announced, hay processors, forage producers and the province’s special crops sector were excluded, but they successfully argued they too were affected by the loss of the Crow subsidy.
The federal government agreed to pay the money after a year’s negotiation, said Moholitny.
The payment is based on ownership of land as of Feb. 27, 1995. No decision has been made as to whether land held by the government or banks will be included.
“If the value of land is impacted, then it shouldn’t matter who owned it,” he said.
Statistics verified
Alberta Agriculture, with help from the federal Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and rural municipalities, are classifying and verifying acres, rotation and productivity factors. Some information is already available because people receiving payments on cereals identified forage acres earlier.
It’s hoped people will be able to apply by November and cheques will be in the mail by early spring. The program and applications for money will be handled by Alberta Agriculture and the federal government will administer the cheques.
Other provinces decided to roll their share of federal safety net money into other programs.
“Some provinces decided to enhance the NISA program. Some provinces chose to use federal money for crop sector funding or other farm support programs,” said Moholitny.
