Relief is on the way for livestock producers dealing with feed shortages due to excess moisture.
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud have announced a joint AgriRecovery initiative to work with the existing Saskatchewan Feed and Forage Program (SFFP) to provide up to $30 per ton to purchase feed.??
"As a result of excess moisture last season, some Saskatchewan farmers are facing extra costs to winter their animals," said Ritz. "This assistance will help see them through to the next production cycle so that they can continue to produce their world class products."
"The unprecedented moisture levels across the province last year created feed challenges for many livestock producers," Bjornerud said.
"I am pleased to work with the federal government to deliver this support which will help Saskatchewan livestock producers access additional feed for their animals."
Assistance is also available to those producers who have to transport feed to their livestock or transport livestock to alternative locations for feeding or grazing due to feed shortages caused by excess moisture.
Saskatchewan producers who own or lease, custom graze or custom feed breeding livestock are eligible to apply for this new assistance. Eligible breeding livestock include beef and dairy cattle, bison, elk, horses, sheep, goats, deer, reindeer, caribou, llamas and alpacas held in inventory as of Oct. 1, 2010. The SFFP also provides $30 per eligible acre to producers to reseed hay, forage or pasture land that has been damaged by excess moisture.
"The excess moisture in 2010 impacted the feed supplies of many producers," Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association chair Jack Hextall said. "We appreciate this funding, which will help producers address feed shortages and retain their breeding herds."
"We are pleased the federal and provincial governments are providing this funding," Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association President Calvin Knoss said.
"This new funding will assist producers whose feed supplies were adversely affected by flooding in 2010."
"Last year brought record rainfall to many parts of the province and created challenges for many producers," SARM president David Marit said.
"SARM thanks both the federal and provincial governments for this funding, which will help producers affected by excess moisture to access feed for their livestock this winter."
This new funding has been made available under AgriRecovery. Other programs also available to assist producers include Crop Insurance, AgriStability and AgriInvest.
Government encourages producers to make full use of these programs to help deal with the costs and losses they may experience due to events like drought and excess moisture.
In addition to providing tax deferrals to eligible producers in designated areas on the sale of breeding livestock, the Government of Canada also provided cattle and hog producers extra time to repay cash advances under the Advance Payment Program (APP).
For more information on these and other programs to assist farmers dealing with excess moisture or drought, see the AAFC Drought Watch site at www.agr.gc.ca/drought.?
For more information on the SFFP, or to complete an application form, producers can contact a local Ministry of Agriculture or Crop Insurance office, visit www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca, email [email protected], or call the SFFP toll-free line at 1-877-874-5365. Application forms are also available at local RM offices.
