Government Acts to Help Prairie Farmers Restore Cropland

July 12, 2010

OTTAWA – Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, reiterated that immediate assistance for farmers affected by recent flooding was announced last week.  The Governments of Canada, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba will provide up to $450 million through the AgriRecovery Program to help farmers protect and restore damaged cropland.

"Farmers are resilient when dealing with the weather, but recent flooding has been devastating," said federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "The Government has responded with the biggest AgriRecovery program in history to make sure that farmers can continue to deliver their high quality grains to kitchen tables in Canada and around the world."

Producers will receive $30 per acre to help them protect, rehabilitate and manage affected cropland.  AgriRecovery is one of several Business Risk Management programs offered jointly by federal and provincial governments to improve cash flow and protect against losses. In addition to the assistance provided by AgriRecovery, AgriInvest subsidizes savings to cover small income declines, while AgriInsurance offers affordable premiums to cover against against production losses.

“This year’s wet conditions have placed heavy financial burdens on producers, who must continue their operations for the rest of the cropping year,” said Menzies.  “Some farmers are without crops to harvest.  Programs like AgriRecovery are the first line of defence against income shortfalls after a natural disaster.”

"The heavy rains that fell in Central and Southern Alberta in June have resulted in extraordinary losses for crop producers. I had the opportunity to visit and see the damage in the affected areas and am pleased that we are able to provide producers with some financial relief," said Alberta Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden. "This payment will certainly help address the costs of maintaining these lands so producers can have a better year in 2011."

The funding of AgriRecovery programs is cost-shared on a 60/40 basis with the affected province(s).  This assistance is contingent on Governments finalizing program authorities.  Farmers will be informed by their provincial delivery agents in their respective provinces about program parameters and application details.  To learn more about AgriRecovery, please visit Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada online at www.agr.gc.ca.