The federal and provincial governments have announced support measures to help Manitoba livestock producers affected by drought conditions, including faster insurance payouts and the ability to defer loan payments.
The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support through its AgriInsurance program to improve cash flow for producers needing additional feed, Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said in an announcement made on July 23.
“Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy. We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions,” MacDonald said in a press release sent out that day. “These program changes will ensure producers in Manitoba receive claim payouts faster, so they can source other feed options as quickly as possible.”
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MASC will apply a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40 per cent for drought-stricken cereal crops converted to livestock feed. The adjustment covers wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, triticale and grain corn. The same measure was last used in 2021 and resulted in over 100,000 acres of grain crops being converted to livestock feed.
Producers with forage and pasture insurance will also see changes, including the option to defer premium payments on claims made before Oct. 1, receive partial payments when possible, and allow livestock to graze insured forage after the first cut without penalty.
“We recognize that some of Manitoba’s livestock producers are facing challenging conditions with the lack of precipitation in certain regions of the province,” Kostyshyn said.
“With pastures drying up and minimal sources of feed for livestock, it is important to give producers the resources they need to maintain their herds. These measures will help to improve cash flow for Manitoba’s livestock producers and provide additional options to access feed.”
MASC will also offer lending clients the opportunity to defer loan payments and provide guidance on financing feed purchases if needed.
