The Manitoba government pledged more support last week for farmers affected by BSE, this time focussing the assistance on producers of ruminants other than cattle.
The almost $900,000 will be paid through a program the province has named the Other Ruminant Transitional Program. The support is for producers with sheep, goats, deer, elk or bison.
“It is not only the beef industry that has been facing challenges,” said Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk while announcing the assistance during Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon last week.
“The other ruminants have not been getting the assistance that the beef industry has been getting.”
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Wowchuk noted that the federal government announced last September there would be a support program for producers of ruminants other than cattle. The province decided to go ahead with its 40 percent contribution rather than wait until the 60 percent matching federal portion was ready to flow to producers.
“We’ll flow our share and hopefully theirs will come very soon,” Wowchuk said.
Details and applications for the program are available through ag offices in the province. The program will provide assistance for up to 80 percent of the herd. The amount available on eligible animals is $20 per head on sheep and goats, $25 per head on deer, $50 per head for elk and $100 per head for bison.
The news was welcomed by Clayton and Rebecca Robins, who debated last year whether to keep their sheep flock.
“It was kind of nice to hear,” said Rebecca.
“Finally something is happening for sheep producers.”
The program was to be implemented immediately, Wowchuk said.
The minister also announced the completion of a $120,000 feasibility study for prospective investors to use when developing business plans to expand or build new slaughter and meat processing facilities in the province. A copy of that study is available from local agricultural representatives.
“It saves people a lot of time and a lot of work and I believe it saves us a lot of money as well.”
Meanwhile, further crop insurance changes were also announced by the minister during Ag Days. Those changes include: new quality loss guarantees for soybeans, green feed and silage corn; province wide insurance for silage corn; greenfeed insurance for sorghum and sudan grass; separate insurance for some organic crops; expanded pedigreed seed coverage for all wheat types; and a new acreage-loss program for vegetable crops.
