The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is calling on the federal and provincial governments to take additional action to assist livestock producers facing extreme drought conditions across the province.
Stock growers President Garner Deobald farms near Hodgeville, between Swift Current and Moose Jaw.
He says since early June, the drought has continued to expand in size and severity.
“This year in the southwest part of Saskatchewan and up through the central part from the first of June on, it looked like earlier things had kind of turned around but it has just been relentless,” Deobald said of the drought conditions. “For some this is going on year 4 or 5 or even more in a couple of places.”
The federal and provincial governments have announced some measures to help livestock producers.
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation announced earlier this week that producers will be allowed to divert additional acres of low yielding cereal and pulse crops to feed, and eligible lessees could have the 2023 grazing rent reduced by 20 to 50 per cent.
“We’re really thankful for that, some of those changes can make a difference for some and definitely is a good start…but again for others their up against it and that won’t be nearly enough and won’t provide the feed supply that is needed.”
Deobald says Saskatchewan Stock growers is submitting an enhanced drought-survival proposal to the federal and provincial governments this week, which includes the recommendation for an immediate AgriRecovery assessment.
Deobald says the Stock growers Association believes that governments can and will do better to meet the progressive needs of drought-affected livestock producers in Saskatchewan.
“Sometimes it hasn’t been in a timely manner but the last few times that we’ve been in this situation they have definitely stepped up and have been of great assistance on the provincial side for sure,” Deobald said. “The adjustment they made on the Crop Insurance side here…that was really made in a timely fashion so I think we can work together with them and really do look forward to coming up with some solutions that will help (our drought) affected producers.”
