Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) welcomes the federal government’s announcement of the federal-provincial AgriRecovery Program for farmers affected by excess moisture and flooding. On June 30, the Province of Manitoba announced an AgriRecovery program which was cost-shared on a 60/40 basis by the federal and provincial governments. Since that time, KAP has been looking forward to an announcement from the federal government for its commitment of 60% funding for the program.
The unseeded and flooded acres as a result of excess moisture is having and will continue to have a major impact on farmers across Manitoba. Today’s announcement also included programs for Saskatchewan and Alberta and totaled $448 million in assistance for the three provinces combined.
“This is a much-needed announcement and it will help farmers get through 2011 and move forward to the 2012 season. We are pleased that the federal government stepped up to the plate so that farmers know what to expect from the programming,” said Doug Chorney, KAP President.
The Manitoba landscape has certainly changed with the flooding and excess moisture this year. This program will assist producers in restoring damaged cropland and also assist with the transport of feed or livestock.
“We are anxious to see the specific program details for Manitoba so that we can get that information to our members affected by this year’s catastrophic weather events,” said Chorney. “KAP has been lobbying to ensure that any programs announced are meaningful for farmers and their businesses which mean no deductibles should be applied and we thank the Province of Manitoba for their commitment to this.”
The payment amount for unseeded acres is $30 per acre for land that could not be seeded as of June 20, 2011 and for cropland that was seeded but flooded out before July 31, 2011.
Farmers can access more information on the 2011 Manitoba AgriRecovery Program at www.gov.mb.ca or at their local GO offices.
