The fight against gophers got some extra ammunition last week when Saskatchewan Crop Insurance announced coverage for crops that fail to establish because of the rodents.
Coverage under the establishment benefit has sometimes been paid in the past but is now official.
“It’s recognition of the problem,” said Allan Oliver, who farms near Aneroid in southwestern Saskatchewan.
He lost 176 acres last year, reseeded and lost another 30. He said crop insurance was accepting some cases of gopher damage under the establishment benefit.
The benefit will pay $50 per eligible acre, less a deductible, on crops that fail to establish by June 20 due to gopher damage. Losses experienced later are covered under normal yield loss.
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The Saskatchewan Party’s Glen Hart said this attempt to deal with the problem won’t likely be effective.
“I think what they really need to do is have the reintroduction of the strychnine formulations that deal with the problem,” he told reporters. “It’s difficult to re-establish crops when gophers have taken them out. They don’t get fewer in numbers; they have larger appetites as the season goes on.”
Agriculture minister Mark Wartman said the move wasn’t likely to fully appease producers in the southwest who have been seeking an acreage payment to deal with drought and escalating gopher populations.
“We hope that this will help mitigate some of the problems that they’ve been facing,” Wartman said.
He also said that the province is discussing with the federal government how to further help drought-stricken farmers.
Oliver said there has been no action since before Christmas when the southwest drought committee met with the local MP David Anderson, who is parliamentary secretary to the federal agriculture minister.
A rally is planned for March 6 in Cadillac to raise awareness of the need for assistance. Organizers hope to pass a resolution to get more support from the federal government.
