With a deadline for the Sask. Party government to agree to AgriStability reforms coming at the end of January, NDP Agriculture Critic Trent Wotherspoon released the following statement:
“It’s past time for the Sask. Party government to step up and fix AgriStability to make the program work for producers in our province. And time is running out.
Saskatchewan agricultural groups and leaders are united in calling on Minister Marit to support these changes. We’ve been reaching out and listening to them and we’ve been pushing for these important change as the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan.
The proposed changes, which are supported by Saskatchewan agriculture groups, would help fix the damaging cuts made in 2013. The changes would be cost shared 60/40 by the federal and provincial governments and be retroactive for the 2020 year if the changes are agreed to soon - but the clock is ticking to make this happen.
These changes have the federal government’s support, but the Sask. Party government is blocking these changes from becoming a reality.
Fixing AgriStability is important to producers and farmers across Saskatchewan and particularly important to hard hit livestock producers this past year.
The Sask. Party government needs to step up and support these changes to increase AgriStability payment levels to 80% and remove the reference margin limit.
The time is now to make this happen - we’ve got the opportunity to fix AgriStability and Saskatchewan producers can’t afford the cost of more inaction.”