Drought hit farmers in Western Canada will have access to even more AgriRecovery funding, the federal government announced in a news release on August 15. The Government of Canada has increased total AgriRecovery funding to up to $500 million, this includes the earlier $100 million announcement.
“Our government is doing everything it can to support farm families so they can get through these challenges today, and be better positioned for a sustainable future,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, says in the release. “We are united in our goal of ensuring that farmers are fully supported through this crisis.”
The federal government and provincial governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario continue to work with the utmost urgency to complete joint assessments of the disaster and launch support programs, the release notes. This includes direct assistance to affected livestock and agricultural producers, and helping them with added costs of obtaining livestock feed, transportation and water.
Producers can also apply for interim payments under AgriStability to help them cope with immediate financial challenges, the release says. B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario have increased the 2021 AgriStability interim benefit payment percentage from 50 to 75 per cent. B.C. and Manitoba have also opened up late participation in AgriStability to farmers who did not register in 2021.
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