By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday July 13, 2021

Jul 13, 2021 | 3:46 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is calling on the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action to assist livestock producers facing extreme drought conditions across the province.

SSGA President Kelcy Elford said multiple consecutive years of well-below average precipitation have pushed livestock operators to the brink.

Producers are facing the difficult decision to reduce herd size by up to 40 per cent by winter.

Elford said they are calling for time-sensitive enhancements to Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation programs and the Farm & Ranch Water Infrastructure Program (FRWIP).

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Western Canadian Wheat Growers (WCWG) are upset the federal government has refused to immediately implement Bill C-208.

It would see the removal of the tax burden farmers face when transferring their farm to a family member.

WCWG Chair Daryl Fransoo said without this legislation, it would cost landowners hundreds of thousands of dollars to sell to their son or daughter. He said it is more profitable to sell to an outside corporation than a family member.

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The University of Saskatchewan has created a new beef industry integrated forage management and utilization research chair.

The person selected for the position will be tasked with synchronizing the study of soils, plants, animals, economics, and ecosystems.

Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) chair Matt Bowman said the research chair will address concerns raised for several years by producers searching for expanded forage management information.

“We need the science in order to better manage complex forage systems, implement effective utilization strategies, and understand the associated environmental benefits created through the dynamic soil-plant-animal interface,” Bowman said in a news release.

Funding for the position will come from BCRC and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA). Additional sources of funding will come from the federal and Saskatchewan governments and the Global Institute for Food Security.

Bowman said the position will be filled before the end of 2021.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW