By Government of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Requests AgriRecovery Assessment Due to Drought

Jul 19, 2023 | 9:19 AM

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit has requested the federal government conduct an AgriRecovery assessment to determine what assistance could be provided to livestock producers faced with prolonged dry conditions.

“Many producers across Saskatchewan are facing extraordinary costs to ensure their animals are taken care of. We need to move quickly to consider all relief options, including an AgriRecovery assessment to help producers deal with the challenges brought about by drought,” Marit said.

In a letter sent to Ottawa July 17, Saskatchewan also requested an early designation of the federal Livestock Tax Deferral Program, to provide producers facing potential feed shortages with more options as they consider if they need to liquidate part of their breeding herd due to drought.

As of June 30, western and southeastern regions of Saskatchewan received well below-normal precipitation while temperatures have also been significantly warmer than normal. In the hardest hit regions of Saskatchewan, heatwaves, limited rain, minimal spring runoff and successive years of dry conditions are all contributing to significant challenges. Concerns include water quantity, access to feed and large grasshopper infestations.

AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial disaster relief framework focused on extraordinary costs producers face to recover from disasters.

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Last week, the federal and provincial governments also announced that Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is implementing measures to offer support to Saskatchewan livestock producers by allowing additional acres of low yielding cereal, pulse crops, canola and flax to be diverted to feed.

Saskatchewan has also frozen the 2023 rate charged to producers who lease Crown grazing land. Additionally, through the 2023 Crown Grazing Lease Rental Reduction Program, lessees may be eligible for a rent reduction in situations where they reduce stocking rates on leases by 20 per cent or more below the rated carrying capacity.

The Ministry of Agriculture has a team of extension specialists located in 10 regional offices across Saskatchewan to support producers with agronomic advice and program information. Producers can contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 to connect with a specialist.