Prairie farmers who remember the generosity of eastern Canadian farmers who sent hay west during the 2002 drought to feed cattle see this as payback time.
Hundreds of western farmers have pledged to send hay east to help eastern Canadian farmers feed their animals this winter after a 2012 drought sharply reduced feed there.
Many Ontario farmers began to feed winter hay to their livestock in the summer because pastures were bare.
Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Mark Wales says without help, many Ontario farmers will have to sell cattle.
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Last week, federal and Ontario governments promised $500,000 to cover the costs of feed moving from the Prairies as part of HayEast. The two levels of government also pledged to match donations up to a total of $2.5 million.
It was a slow government response compared to a fast promise of transportation funds in 2002 but farm leaders welcomed the Nov. 3 announcement.
For Wynyard, Sask., farmer and Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Norm Hall, it is time for prairie farmers to repay a debt.
Hay from his own farm will be heading east. He said the addition of government support for transporting the feed east will be an important incentive.
“We have been pushing hard to get Saskatchewan farmers to contribute and now that money is there to help with transport, we will be pushing harder,” Hall said Nov. 8.
In a news release about the campaign to pay for feed moving east, Alberta farm leader Lynn Jacobson, president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, noted support from corporations including Calgary-based Agrium and Regina-based crown corporation Farm Credit Canada.
“We will continue to appeal to corporations, western Canadian farmers and ranchers and individual citizens for donations to help us access that additional matching funds from our government partners,” he said.
Donations to HayEast 2012 can be made through ScotiaBank branches across Canada.
