Market uncertainty may have some producers rethinking their participation in AgriStability.
The deadline to enrol in the program designed to cover large margin shortfalls has been extended to July 2 from April 30 to offer producers all possible protection options as the canola dispute with China drags on.
In Saskatchewan, assistant deputy agriculture minister for policy Paul Johnson said he couldn’t predict how producers would react.
“We are expecting some people to reconsider their participation in AgriStability but to estimate whether that will be five percent or 25 percent is very difficult to do,” he said in an interview.
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Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp., which administers the federal-provincial program in the province, has seen a “substantive” increase in inquiries, he said.
Enrolment across Canada has dropped in the past several years as farmers said AgriStability didn’t meet their needs.
As part of the ongoing business risk management review, officials are working on how the entire suite of BRM programs could work better.
Saskatchewan producers should be receiving letters this week regarding consultation in June.
Questions around AgriStability include timeliness, simplicity and predictability, Johnson said.
Officials will report to the ministers at their annual upcoming annual meeting in Quebec City in July. However, Johnson said there won’t be substantive changes before the current Canadian Agricultural Partnership ends in 2023.
