More support could be coming for Manitoba farmers whose crops got drowned or washed out by excess moisture this spring.
A proposal has been made to Ottawa for compensation under the Disaster Financial Assistance program, said Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk last week. She hoped for a quick reply from Ottawa.
More than two million acres of Manitoba cropland went unseeded this spring or was drowned out by heavy rains after planting.
The added support sought from the federal government would pay for items like weed control costs and possibly a green cover program to prevent soil erosion.
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“This is a very serious situation for our producers,” Wowchuk said in an interview during the semi-annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in Winnipeg. “We very much believe it is a disaster and should be treated as a disaster under DFA.”
Under Disaster Financial Assistance, 90 percent of the costs of compensation are paid by Ottawa and the balance is covered by the province.
David Rolfe, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers said additional aid for weed control and a green cover program would be welcome. He added that KAP, Manitoba’s general farm lobby group, would be disappointed if there is no compensation for lost crop inputs.
“The current safety net programs just will not deal with that issue in a timely and effective manner.”
Producers with crop insurance coverage were eligible for a $50 per acre payment on land that could not be seeded. Wowchuk said producers affected by excess moisture also can apply for advances under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program.
Rolfe said the CAIS program is unpredictable for producers, both in terms of when payments will be made and whether the money would have to be repaid to government later on.
Manitoba Crop Insurance has estimated that payments on excess moisture claims this year will exceed $50 million.
