The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association says it’s a simple case of fairness. If provincial and federal governments provide financial aid for flooded grain producers, they should also offer flood relief for cattle producers.
“I think the (cattle) producers need to be fairly compensated for their losses. Just like the grain guys were,” said Jay Fox, MCPA president. “It’s just an unlevel playing field when it comes to grain and livestock.”
In early July, the federal government and the three prairie provinces announced a $450 million relief package of $30 per acre for grain producers with flooded cropland.
However, pasture and hayland wasn’t part of the program, which is why the MCPA has been lobbying government for equitable treatment.
“We have outlined different relief packages for government’s consideration that would see our producers through this desperate situation,” Fox said in an MCPA press release.
“Any response we have received to date has been long on generalities and desperately short on anything concrete that producers could embrace immediately,” Fox said.
In an interview with The Western Producer, Fox said he’s frustrated by the government’s double standard on this matter. If two farmers have suffered losses because of excess moisture, it’s unfair to assist one producer and not the other.
“(Some) cattle guys have lost 50 to 70 percent of their acres and they’ve received no compensation,” he said.
Kim Crandall, a MCPA district director, said it’s foolish for government to ignore beef producers.
“Collapsing beef producers has a ripple effect too”, said Crandall. “There are a lot of spinoff jobs such as equipment and feed dealers that are going to disappear if we don’t get the help we need.”
