Talks on flood compensation for Manitoba farmers are mired in the mud after a month of meetings between federal and provincial government officials.
Farmers struggling to get business back to normal are paying the price, says the leader of the provincial farm lobby group.
“We’ve been hearing on the news every day that there’s going to be an announcement,” said Les Jacobson, of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
“And every day goes by and nothing happens.”
On May 30, Jacobson met with Lloyd Axworthy, senior government MP from Manitoba, and Jim Downey, deputy premier.
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KAP appealed to politicians to overcome their impasse and tell farmers what they can expect.
“It’s going to be crucial as they’re going back to their farms that they know exactly the detail of the type of program that is available to them,” Jacobson said.
“On the grains side of it, if we don’t get a crop in this year, it’s 18 months down the road before there’s going to be a paycheque.”
KAP was part of a federal, provincial and industry committee that met about flood compensation in May.
Jacobson said KAP documented damage the flood caused to agriculture, including eroded fields, contaminated water systems, disrupted livestock production cycles and loss of farm resale value.
KAP stressed several points:
- Farmers should be compensated for the value of damaged assets, not the depreciated value.
- People who understand agriculture should assess the damages.
- Farmers shouldn’t face a cap or deductible on the aid.
- Funding should not come out of agriculture budgets.
- Flooded farms and businesses in other parts of the province should be treated equally, including those hurt in the Assiniboine Valley in 1995.
- Lost income from early marketing, evacuation and unseeded land should be addressed.
Jacobson said federal officials said they would not set a precedent by compensating farmers for loss of income.
However, he said officials said aid may cover fixed and variable costs of farms until the farms return to normal production.
The federal proposal, reported to involve more than $10 million, includes:
- $10 per acre to help pay for custom seeding before crop insurance deadlines.
- $40 per acre for crops planted between the deadlines and July 4.
- $60 per acre for cover crops planted between July 5 and Aug. 15.
- $500,000 to help farm groups move equipment and livestock back to farms.
After the package is announced, KAP and other groups will announce how money in the farm relief fund will be distributed.
