Expanding 2023 livestock drought recovery support
After a natural disaster, AgriRecovery helps producers recover extraordinary costs beyond what is available through other financial assistance programs.
The governments of Canada and Alberta are expanding drought livestock assistance eligibility to help producers maintain breeding herds.
The 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance initiative is expanding eligibility to 23 new regions and extending the application deadline. Funding for this joint AgriRecovery initiative is provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).
Livestock producers in eligible regions who altered their usual grazing practices due to drought conditions for more than 21 days this season can apply for financial support to cover losses incurred to manage and maintain female breeding animals such as cattle, bison, horses, elk, sheep, goats, alpacas, yak, musk ox, deer, water buffalo and llamas. A minimum of 15 animals per type of livestock are required to qualify.
Funding for the new regions will open on Jan. 29. Applicants in this intake may receive payments of up to $150 per head. The application deadline is Feb. 22 and extraordinary costs can be incurred until March 31. This expansion also gives producers who were already eligible another opportunity to apply.
How to Apply
Applications for the extension open Monday, January 29. Participants are strongly encouraged to apply online using AFSC Connect for faster service.
The AFSC Connect online application is an easy, system guided process. Applying online helps immediately identify errors or missing information. It also helps process your application faster. Please note that you will need to complete and submit your application in one session. Individuals who need assistance with applying should contact the AFSC Client Care Centre.
Funding for this joint AgriRecovery initiative is cost-shared through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), with the federal government providing $99 million and Alberta’s government providing $66 million. Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) will administer the program.
Sustainable CAP is a five-year program, beginning this year, and includes a $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency in the agriculture, agri food and agri based products sector. This investment includes $1 billion in federal programs and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs funded 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially-territorially.
AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial-territorial disaster relief framework to producers with the extraordinary costs associated with recovering from disaster situations. This program is not intended to cover income or production losses, recurring disaster events or replace the need for multi-year strategies to help industries adjust to long-term realities of a disaster. Eligible costs will be supported on the 60/40 federal/provincial cost-shared basis outlined under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. AgriRecovery helping with the livestock industry during recent drought conditions.