An ad hoc committee set up to get government support for farmers in the Peace River area has folded after members decided they would get no help from the province.
“We got to the point the government wasn’t listening to us and weren’t interested in us,” said Kit Fearon, spokesperson for the Farm Communities in Crisis Committee.
“We felt we could go no further at this time,” said Fearon of Bay Tree.
The farmers from the central Peace had wanted Alberta to give them some form of financial assistance after two years of wet weather either rotted crops in the field or prevented seeding.
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The group even made a bus trip to the legislature in Edmonton earlier this year to plead in person for assistance.
Fearon said the province refused to listen to suggestions on reforming crop insurance or the provincial farm assistance program.
“They didn’t take our proposals seriously.”
The government has put together an assistance package for farmers based on the Farm Income Disaster Program, NISA, crop insurance and low-income loans, but it will not give out ad hoc assistance.
Fearon said the group realized it wasn’t getting anywhere with the government so the members decided to concentrate efforts on their own farms.
There was just over $4,000 left in their bank account when the group disbanded, which will be divided among four local community centres. The money will benefit farmers when they use the community centres, she said.
