Ottawa to help farmers affected by drought

WINNIPEG Help is on the way for Canadian farmers and ranchers severely affected by this year's drought.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-claude Bibeau announced several steps Thursday following a tour of Manitoba's Interlake Region to see how extreme weather is leading to crop losses, affecting crop quality, and reducing forage and water supplies for livestock.

Bibeau said Ottawa is working closely with the provinces to quickly respond to drought in Western Canada.

“I wanted to come to Manitoba to talk to you in person and to see with my own eyes the devastating effects that extreme heat and insect damage are having on your farms,” Bibeau said.

“I can't begin to imagine the stress that producers are going through. Watching your pastures and crops dry up, wondering how you're going to get your animals through the winter, and facing the prospect of sending cattle off to auction, animals that are the result of generations of careful genetic selection, hard work and sacrifice.”

Scorching temperatures and little to no rainfall have left crops in poor condition across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Manitoba has been hit by months of dry weather that has left soil moisture and river levels in many areas to near-record lows. Most water basins in southern and central areas have received 200 to 250 millimetres less precipitation than normal.

In some parts of the country, grasshoppers have infested fields. Several municipalities have declared states of agricultural disaster and ranchers say they are running out of hay to feed their cattle.

Drought is causing problems in Western Ontario and in B.C. where active wildfires are having significant effects on producers.

The measures announced by Bibeau include early designation of a livestock tax deferral provision for affected regions in all of Western Canada and Ontario. That will allow beef producers who are forced to sell a large amount of their herd to offset the resulting revenue with the cost to replace the herd.

Bibeau also outlined adjustments to the Agriinsurance program to make drought-damaged crops on the Prairies available for feed.