A new website brings together information on support programs for
farmers affected by the 2001 drought and increases awareness of the
effect of crop loss on rural communities.
The site at www.croplosscoalition.ca was created by the Crop Loss
Coalition, a group of 10 farm organizations from across Canada that
collected data on the effects of last year’s drought.
It offers overviews of programs, quick tips, strategies and detailed
information on crop insurance, Net Income Stabilization Accounts, the
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Canadian Farm Income Program and cash advance programs.
It also includes a list of resources and names that producers can turn
to for help.
Coalition member Terry Hildebrandt, who is president of the
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said the coalition
wants to make producers aware of these support programs and strategies.
It also seeks to educate the general public about actual levels of
support available to farmers.
The coalition was formed last summer to seek a more realistic
accounting of crop loss and how it affects communities. It plans to
present its findings to the federal government by March, he said.
Hildebrandt said crop loss represents economic, agricultural, social,
community and small business loss.
“The reality of the crop loss of 2001 won’t hit home until spring of
2002.”
He said the federal government needs to make the farm situation a
priority.
“Although Sept. 11 is an important one, you can’t forget about
disasters within your own country,” he said.”We’ve got a drought across
most of Canada and you can’t overlook that.”
The last federal budget was “woefully inadequate for farmers,” said
coalition member Stewart Wells, president of the National Farmers Union.
He said “a desire to get a handle on how bad the drought was” brought
the groups together.
“We hope to accomplish by working together what we could not accomplish
by working alone,” Wells said.
The group plans to contact the three prairie chambers of commerce to
help develop ideas for its next plan of action, which could include
using testimonials from those affected, such as producers, labourers
and business people.
The other members of the coalition are the Alberta Soft Wheat Producers
Commission, Canadian Wheat Board, Canadian Canola Growers Association,
Keystone Agricultural Producers, Rye and Triticale Association,
Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Saskatchewan Organic
Directorate and Wild Rose Agricultural Producers.
