The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) has appealed to both the federal and provincial governments for more robust action to assist livestock producers grappling with severe drought conditions that have engulfed the province.
Association president Garner Deobald voiced concerns about the severity and expanding scope of the drought in a statement released last week, after Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) announced that a greater number of acres with low-yielding crops can be repurposed for livestock feed.
Deobald said that while the increase to low yield appraisal is a welcome change, SSGA’s board and members believe additional assistance is still required.
“Since early June, the drought has continued to expand in size and severity―especially in areas that have experienced multiple years of well-below-average precipitation, which is triggering drought-related pest infestations,” he said. “Producers are rushing to harvest what little forage has grown, before grasshoppers eat it.”
In an effort to provide essential resources for livestock producers, the SSGA has submitted an enhanced drought-survival proposal to both the federal and provincial governments, which includes the immediate implementation of an AgriRecovery assessment.
The proposal also includes the following recommendations for the SCIC:
“Our board reviews existing policy and programs that can be adapted, as a standard practice,” said Deobald. “We continue to have confidence in our governments as partners. When we call, they listen to understand our needs. We work together to create actionable solutions.”
Amid the SSGA’s call for enhanced government assistance, a rural municipality in the province recently declared an agricultural disaster due to the drought.
The RM of Dundurn No. 314, located around 30 kilometres south of Saskatoon, called for disaster relief for farmers and ranchers in the area.
Deputy Reeve Ben Wilson called the current drought season “right up there with one of the worst,” citing provincial data which showed that the rural municipality saw only 69 millimetres of rain from April 1 to July 10.
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