CAMROSE, Alta. – Alberta’s agriculture minister expects a decision to be made this week on whether forage producers will get a payout for the loss of the Crow Benefit.
Walter Paszkowski said the federal minister of agriculture is bringing a package to the federal cabinet meeting that includes allowing forage producers to receive compensation for the end of the WGTA.
Forage producers were excluded from collecting money from the initial payout. The money would come from the money saved by Alberta’s early end to the Gross Revenue Insurance Program.
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There are about five million acres of rotational forage in the province and about $50 million was saved from Alberta’s early end to GRIP, he said.
“As far as the province is concerned we’ve dotted all our i’s and crossed all our t’s. We’ve done everything we felt has to be done. It’s now up to the minister,” said Paszkowski.
He said it was “very frustrating” that it would take only two hours to close a loophole allowing producers to ship grain to the United States yet his fight for forage payment is ongoing.
Alberta produces half of Canada’s forage, he said from his Peace country riding which is one of the largest forage producing areas.
But it’s not only a Peace country issue, he said. During a tour east of Edmonton earlier in the week farmers also brought up the same concerns.
“I’m hearing it from all over the province.”
