Sask. government directs $119 million to help cattle producers impacted by drought

MAPLE CREEK -

The Saskatchewan government announced $119 million in funding to help cattle producers impacted by the hot and dry conditions experienced across the province this summer.

"We depend on Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers to sustainably produce the high quality food that we rely on," David Marit, Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture, said.

"The prolonged drought conditions this summer has taken a serious toll, the challenges are mounting with pastures and crops in many areas severely affected by the drought."

The money is under the AgriRecovery program, where funding is shared with the federal government. According to a press release, the province has asked Ottawa to provide an additional $178 million to bring the total to $297 million.

The provincial government said the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) will deliver the program to producers.

The amount available to producers is dependent on federal participation. With Ottawa’s involvement, the province said producers would receive a total of $200 per head, with one payment issued immediately and the second issued later and based on year-end herd numbers.

The province also said it plans to give producers an initial payment of $100 per breeding female. The remainder will be available when the agreement is finalized and after confirmation the breeding herd is retained.

Marit said it was important to the government to get the funding out to ranchers as quickly as possible.

"This just gives an opportunity for the cattle ranchers to be able to go and access some straw, or some feed of some kind, maybe it's lentils or lentil straw, or whatever, but just gives them an opportunity to go and try and source that feed now to give them the roughage through the winter, which they really do need," he said.

The government said it will make application details available to producers this week.

FUNDING NEEDED TO GET RANCHERS THROUGH WINTER

David Flundra has about 300 head of cattle in the Maple Creek area. He said this is the worst drought situation that he’s seen in more than 40 years as a rancher.

"I’ve never seen it this dry for this length of time," he said. "This year, you may be dry, but 50 miles away, or 100 miles away, they’ve got all kinds of feeds, so it's relatively easy to track. This year, I'm getting people telling me there isn't any available or it's already spoke for."

Flundra said the area has been in a drought situation for five years, but the extended heat this summer has left ranchers with no other options.

"It tests you," he said.

Jason Pollock also has about 300 head of cattle in the area. He said his ranch has received a little more than an inch of rain this year.

"Our hay is all done for this year, and we've got maybe 40-50per centof what we need," he said.

With limited farming in the Maple Creek area, Pollock said they will need to venture further out to get feed for his herd.

"We’re looking at six, seven hours on a truck to get a load of feed in here," he said. "You pay more for the trucking than you do for the feed, so it’s going to be touch and go whether the cows stay."

With limited grass in the pastures, the ranchers will be looking at almost six months of feeding the cattle.

"You’re going to need $500-plus a cow," Flundra said.

Flundra said ranchers are in a vicious cycle where the price for feed continues to increase and the price of cattle has remained low.

"The $100 is greatly appreciated, the other $100 in December, if people can survive until then, that’s great, but I’m not sure everybody is going to make it until then because of the price of feed," he said.

"People all love to eat, but they keep forgetting where it comes from."