Farmers in drought stricken parts of Alberta may have a merrier Christmas if an Alberta government farm aid program is finalized by then.
Agriculture minister Ty Lund said he hopes to have an aid announcement within weeks and have the program available by November.
“It’s a package to put some money into people who have suffered four years of no crops and low prices,” said Lund.
Farmers in the Peace River area and in a band across northern Alberta have had four poor farming years. For two years, excess rain prevented farmers from seeding or harvesting. In the following two years, drought killed hopes of good crops.
Read Also
European wheat production makes big recovery
EU crop prospects are vastly improved, which could mean fewer canola and durum imports from Canada.
The provincial government’s Farm Income Disaster Assistance program wasn’t designed for multiple years of low prices, Lund said.
The federal government acknowledged the situation by declaring 22 Alberta municipalities disaster areas. Another two municipalities may be added to the list.
But Lund said it’s not easy to sell a farm aid package to non-farmers.
“When private businesses go broke we don’t go and give them money,” he said, and it isn’t easy to explain the difference between individual business problems and the plight of an entire industry.
“That’s the challenge for my communications people,” said Lund.
A pre-Christmas farm aid may benefit farmers now, but it won’t solve financial problems in the spring or in the long term, he said.
Lund said industry and government officials must examine the agricultural situation in the long term.
Some farm aid scenarios will be presented to the Alberta government caucus in mid-October and a decision is expected shortly afterward.
