Alberta and the federal governments plan to extend eligibility to the 2022 AgriStability program until the end of February for poultry and egg producers hit hard by the avian influenza outbreak.
“This means any poultry producers not currently signed up for AgriStability can reach out to Agriculture Financial Services Corp. to enrol by Feb. 28,” Nate Horner, Alberta’s agriculture minister, said in a statement.
Alberta saw 1.4 million birds culled in the province across 60 farms following the first detection of the highly contagious variant of the virus in April 2022.
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The joint provincial-federal program offers financial assistance to producers hit with disaster and a sudden downturn in revenue.
“Alberta’s producers have faced significant impacts, substantial losses and a great deal of stress during this time, and that is why we’re providing additional help to some producers. I commend Alberta’s poultry sector for its advocacy and information sharing over the past year to support producers during the avian influenza outbreak, said Horner in his statement.
“In recognition of the potential for more infections as we move into spring, I will continue to work with industry to identify any available tools and supports to mitigate avian influenza’s impacts.”
Late participants to the program will need to adhere to all of its requirements and deadlines. Payments to late comers, including interim ones, will be reduced by 20 percent.
More information on the program, its guidelines and the specific late participation application for poultry producers can be found at afsc.ca/news/agristability-options-for-poultry-farmers/.
