Northeastern Saskatchewan cattle producers have presented their case for assistance to federal and provincial government representatives and they’re waiting for an answer.
More than 130 cattle producers recently joined MLA June Draude and MP Garry Breitkreuz at the Derek Denham farm near Weekes.
“We couldn’t seem to get any response so we decided to call this meeting to get somebody out here to show them what was really taking place,” said Wayne Paulson, who helped organize the meeting.
“There were probably 300 pictures of people stuck in ruts.… One producer said he had 12 quarters of pasture flooded. He couldn’t use it.”
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At Hudson Bay, producers had hay bales sitting in water for months.
Paulson lost two bulls to foot rot and has calves coming off soggy pastures 22 kilograms lighter than last year.
Field and pen checks were difficult in wet conditions and farmers had to cover more ground with equipment to get less feed.
Feed shortages will prevent some producers from backgrounding their calves this year.
Most producers at the meeting felt the AgriStability program doesn’t meet their needs.
They want assistance from the Excess Moisture Program already available to grain producers and they’re hoping for a per cow payment, Paulson said.
“We figure we are between $380 and $400 per cow place on our farm short because of the flood.”
Draude and Breitkreuz planned to take the group’s concerns to the provincial agriculture minister.
