Livestock producers in drought-stricken areas of Manitoba, including the Interlake, are getting new support from the provincial and federal governments.
Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced new measures Wednesday through the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), aimed at easing the financial pressure caused by extreme dry conditions.
The support comes as several rural municipalities in the Interlake, including St. Laurent and Coldwell, have declared states of agricultural emergency in response to worsening drought.
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Help for feed shortages and cash flow
MacDonald says the changes will help get money into producers’ hands sooner so they can find other feed sources.
“Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy,” says MacDonald. “We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions.”
“These program changes will ensure producers in Manitoba receive claim payouts faster, so they can source other feed options as quickly as possible,” he adds.
The AgriInsurance program will apply a 40 per cent quality adjustment factor when drought-damaged cereal crops, such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, triticale and grain corn, are turned into livestock feed. That same adjustment was used during the 2021 drought and led to over 100,000 acres being converted for feed use.
Targeted changes for forage and pasture claims
Additional support is coming for producers with AgriInsurance coverage on forage and pasture lands. MASC will allow deferred premium deductions on claims made before October 1, and partial claim payments when feasible.
Livestock will also be permitted to graze insured forages after the first cut without affecting claim eligibility, a move designed to give producers more flexibility in managing dwindling pasture resources.
“We recognize that some of Manitoba’s livestock producers are facing challenging conditions with the lack of precipitation in certain regions of the province,” remarks Kostyshyn. “With pastures drying up and minimal sources of feed for livestock, it is important to give producers the resources they need to maintain their herds.”
“These measures will help to improve cash flow for Manitoba’s livestock producers and provide additional options to access feed,” he continues.
Local leaders welcome the support
The new measures follow calls for help from Interlake municipalities earlier this month. As previously reported by PortageOnline, the RM of St. Laurent passed a resolution on July 16 declaring a state of agricultural emergency after hearing concerns from local farmers and the Cattlemen’s Association.
“With the amount of dry weather that we had, the yield grass for feeding our livestock was really depleting and our dugouts were getting empty,” Reeve Richard Chartrand said at the time.
Neighbouring municipalities, including Coldwell, Grahamdale, and Armstrong, have also sounded the alarm over crop and pasture conditions, urging both levels of government to act.
More support still possible
Along with changes to AgriInsurance, MASC lending clients may also request to defer loan payments, and officials are ready to help producers with feed financing options if necessary.
For more details, producers can contact their local MASC Service Centre or visit masc.mb.ca.
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