By farmnewsNOW Staff

Province and feds announce AgriStability interim benefit increase

Aug 4, 2021 | 4:59 PM

Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers are facing immeasurable challenges this year.

But an increase to the 2021 AgriStability interim benefit might make things a little easier across the province. The federal and provincial governments have agreed to increase benefits from 50 to 75 per cent.

“My heart goes out to those farmers and ranchers feeling the impacts of the drought. We are working closely with provinces to get farm families the support they need as soon as possible. By unlocking more AgriStability funds through interim payments, we can get more cash in hand for farmers who are making tough decisions in a difficult situation and I urge other provinces to request the same if needed,” Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a media release. “We will continue to support farm families to get them through the challenges we face today, and position them for a sustainable future, since we know climate change will continue to pose challenges.”

“We are closely monitoring and responding to the challenges facing Saskatchewan producers due to the extreme drought conditions this growing season. That is why we are taking another step today to provide our producers with additional support,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “This increase allows producers to access a larger portion of their final AgriStability benefit early. The AgriStability interim benefit can help producers with cash flow needs and provide them with additional flexibility to deal with the dry conditions.”

“The interim benefit provides the opportunity for producers who are enrolled in AgriStability to access a portion of their benefit early, to help support losses and cover costs,” stated the provincial government in a recent press release. “With this increase, Saskatchewan producers can apply for an interim benefit to receive 75 per cent of their estimated final 2021 benefit, before completing their program year.”

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The benefits are calculated based on declines and losses compared to a producers reference margin or historical average of net farming income. Losses must be 30 per cent below the reference margin.

Local agriculture groups have been requesting increases to AgriStability for the last few weeks, including Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

Ottawa offered to raise the AgriStability compensation rate from 70 percent to 80 percent earlier this year but the Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba governments rejected the proposal, saying it was too costly for smaller provinces with large agricultural land bases.

To apply for an interim benefit, producers can contact their local SCIC office, call the AgriStability Call Centre toll-free at 1-886-270-8450, or email agristability@scic.ca. SCIC is prioritizing Interim Benefit applications as they know it is important to issue the benefits in a timely manner. SCIC is willing to work with producers to finalize interim benefit applications.

With files from Alice McFarlane and Angie Rolheiser.

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