The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) wrote to Sask. Party Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison on Sept. 29 urging him to act following meetings in July. In the letter, SARM President Bill Huber said, “To date the provincial government has not established meaningful long-term drought support or implemented substantive changes that producers so desperately need. During a recent phone call, you (Minister Harrison) indicated to me that there would be no additional support provided at the provincial level and expressed that despite efforts there was no additional headway being made with the federal government either.”
“The bottom line is this — Saskatchewan producers that have faced years of drought devastation need support from the province and the feds, and they need it now,” said Trent Wotherspoon, Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Agriculture Shadow Minister. “Our producers are world-class but they have faced horrific drought conditions — in some cases for near a decade — as well as ongoing tariffs from China and India.
“This is a critical moment for leadership. Our producers feed the world and we must act to protect their farms, their livelihoods and our province’s future.”
Wotherspoon endorsed the calls for action from SARM laid out in the letter, including:
- Additional policy or crop insurance program for producers wanting to mitigate drought risks;
- Increasing the number of crop adjusters to provide timely estimates for coverage;
- Allow double low yield appraisals to be harvested with a combine to be used for seed by a producer the following year in the event of a crop failure;
- A rebate on trucking fees for delivering feed;
- And, reducing the administrative burden of Business Risk Management programs to allow for timely payments.
“These are critical actions the Sask. Party can take right now to help during drought conditions not seen in a lifetime,” Wotherspoon said.
“People are tired of this Sask. Party government, after 18 years, stalling and refusing to listen the very producers that drive our economy forward.”