Federal money for Saskatchewan livestock producers in 91 flooded rural municipalities is appreciated, producers say, but comes too late for many.
Orland Walker, who raises cattle near Hudson Bay in the designated area, said many producers have left the industry over the past few months and continue to do so.
“A lot got out because they had no feed,” he said.
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced an AgriRecovery program Feb. 22 that will see Ottawa and the province share the cost of providing up to $30 per ton to help producers in designated RMs buy feed.
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The two levels of government will also cost-share on freight assistance for producers who have to haul feed or livestock.
The RMs are in northeastern Saskatchewan where excess moisture caused significant hardship last year. The region was earlier designated as a tax deferral area, in which producers who had to sell breeding livestock qualify for a one-year income tax deferral to help them rebuild the following year.
The assistance will be cost-shared on the traditional 60 percent federal and 40 percent provincial formula.
The announcement was greeted with some confusion because all Saskatchewan producers are eligible to apply under the existing Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program announced last November, which also provides up to $30 per ton and freight assistance.
The provincial program includes a reseeding component offering $30 per reseeded acre for perennial forage damaged by flooding. Ottawa is not contributing to that part of the program.
“We had to base ours on sound science,” Ritz said when asked why the federal assistance was targeted.
“They’re looking at expanding it on a case by case basis. We’re trying to get some stability between what we do in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta. Everybody wants national standards so we try to keep it as close as we possibly can.”
Walker said the assistance is welcome but “a day late and $2 short.”
Provincial minister Bob Bjornerud said some producers are leaving to take advantage of higher prices, but Walker said many sold when calves were worth $600 and cows were worth $650. They’re now worth $1,000 and $1,400, he added.
He expects the feed assistance to pay half what producers need. He said the money should help him buy feed until the end of March. After that, he doesn’t know what he will do.
Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association chair Jack Hextall said he is also frustrated with how long it took Ottawa to unveil the assistance program.
Many farmers had to make decisions about their herds long before help was announced.
“I think everybody really struggles with the timeliness of these programs,” he said. “We continue to press that these programs have to be a lot more responsive.”
The province estimates the program will cost $7.8 to $8 million, depending on how much it is used. The provincial share will be $5.2 million.
Ottawa has budgeted up to $7 million for Saskatchewan.
Ritz and the Alberta government also announced AgriRecovery payments last week for producers in the Peace region who faced feed shortages because of drought.
Ottawa has budgeted $14.7 million and the province $9.8 million to help producers cover the costs of transporting feed to their herds or their herds to feed.
The money is available to producers in the counties of Grande Prairie, Birch Hills, Clear Hills, Northern Lights, Northern Sunrise and Saddle Hills, and the municipal districts of Big Lakes, Greenview, Smoky River, Spirit River, Peace and Fairview.