June 16, 2010
Canada's waterlogged grain farmers may get more aid
Existing agriculture support programmes are the best bet for now for rain-soaked Saskatchewan farmers, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said on Tuesday (June 15).
However, he did not rule out additional help from the federal and provincial governments for producers grappling with what will likely be millions of acres left un-seeded because of record rains this spring.
"Anything is possible. This is government. It's a little tougher at the federal level in a minority. That keeps me pretty close to my desk here on a good day. Having said that, we'll look at anything," said Ritz, who is the Conservative MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster.
Saskatchewan Party Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud suggested Monday (June 14) there should be a joint federal-provincial assistance programme that goes beyond crop insurance after making his second aerial tour of waterlogged areas in east-central Saskatchewan.
After being pushed back because of the wet conditions, June 20 is now the seeding deadline for crop insurance. About 30% of Saskatchewan cropland has not been seeded. The government will have a good idea of how much land has not been seeded once crop reports come in June 25.
That means no decisions will likely be made until then. However, the provincial minister said something needs to happen by the time Canada's agricultural ministers meet in Saskatoon July 5-7. "It's not something we're going to let sit too long into the future," he said.
"We certainly have to have something coming together at that time so we have an idea where we're going or where we're not going," said Bjornerud, adding the financial impact of the poor crops will affect not only the producers but also the broader agriculture industry and Saskatchewan's economy.
