Members from five rural municipalities and APAS President Greg Marshall (Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan) met with media on June 28 to discuss excess water in southeastern Saskatchewan. The tour, starting in Regina with its first stop in Alameda, was organized by APAS in order to bring attention to the continued hardships faced by producers. Rural municipality Reeves, Councillors and producers were on hand to tell their stories.
The message was clear. In a full boardroom, APAS President Greg Marshall, called for the announcement of AgriRecovery program dollars by the federal and provincial governments. Marshall stated that the standard wait-and-see approach is not acceptable in this situation. Producers need to know if the government is going to step up, and they need to know now. Of the meeting's purpose, Marshall said "I am hoping to get a good feel on how many acres are affected by this excess moisture. The government is saying that they have to wait-and-see and we as farmers, realize that we are not going to turn a profit this year and we are going to need compensation."
AgriRecovery is a disaster relief program that allows federal and provincial governments to work together on a case-by-case basis to provide assistance to farmers when a regional disaster occurs. The program is in addition to other programs and is cost-shared by the federal government on a 60/40 basis with the provincial governing body. While Saskatchewan producers are still waiting for an announcement, producers in other provinces such as Manitoba, received word last week.
Marshall said "There hasn't been an announcement on AgriRecovery dollars this year. The government has said that they have increased the loss under Crop Insurance from $50 to $70 and that coverage there has been increased, but we are still looking for Recovery dollarsMy wish is that the AgriRecovery payment be announced, whatever that dollar amount is and that cash start to flow to farmers. Farmers in municipalities just like this one, because that is what we are all concerned about here. It's our income that is being affected. It is the provincial income that is being affected."
The announcement cannot come soon enough for some producers in the area. Less than 45 percent of crop in the region has been seeded as of June 20 according to Crop Insurance. Going around the room during the meeting, the numbers were significantly lower, with only one producer stating he seeded 40 percent. While that may sound like a blessing, a large proportion of that land seeded has been lost due to continuous rains and flooding. One producer in the room seeded nothing, a commonality among producers throughout southeastern Saskatchewan.
Not only are producers facing unseeded acres, many of the acres seeded are now flooded or behind in development. Crop reporters are indicating that haying is yet to begin in the region and rains continue to create pressure. Access to fields is a major issue as roads are flooded, very soft or washed out. The inability for producers to get onto the fields means a new growing concern as volunteer crops and weeds have taken over.
Touring the area, it is obvious why farmers are asking for an AgriRecovery announcement. Standing at the corner of four RMs, there is water is every direction and not a crop in sight. The fields that just the year before were home to canola or wheat, are now home to weeds and ducks. Road closed signs and impassable roads mark the pathway to crops from last year, which are now rotting in the field with no way of salvaging them. The farmers profit from last year will become feed to wildlife as hopes of retrieving them prior to that occurring are dashed by impassable roads.
While Crop Insurance is providing 70 dollars per acre for unseeded acres for enrolled producers, the program just doesn't cut it when it comes to a disaster this severe. "Seventy dollars an acre is available if you are a crop insurance participant that is covered, but we all know that 70 dollars doesn't last too long. It goes pretty quickly. Another reason why the Crop Insurance is not adequate is that is leaves out the livestock people. Crop Insurance doesn't cover hay land and pasture land. We can buy forage insurance granted, but still, there isn't a 70 dollar an acre available to the cattle guys" said Marshall.
While an AgriRecovery payment to producers will aid with some of the costs lost this year, it is clear that frustration is in the air when discussing the lack of water management that occurs. Don Grandberg, a producer, said "One of the frustrating things for me is that this isn't the first time we've had water issues and flood issues. Like I've farmed down here for 32 years. And in 32 years, I can recall two other major meetings that we've had which have involved Sask Water, CP highways and the RM trying to get the water going. And out of those times, nothing happened. Everyone is all excited about it when the water is here, but when it dries up and it is time to do something, nothing happens, and nobody wants to stand up and actually make a decision."
Marshall stated "There is nowhere to turn when we are talking about draining water or managing water. What we are talking about is water management. Who do you go to to get permission to drain the water? Railways or highways or all those other people that are involved in the landscape of Saskatchewan? We need a provincial authority to deal with this The problem compounds itself as the water backs up. One year into the next or one week into the next. It doesn't matter. It backs up on the agricultural land. And that is the backbone of these RMs. It is the agricultural land that pays the taxes so that's what's being affected here."
Looking forward, it is obvious that the voice of farmers will be heard. Problems caused by excess moisture are only in their beginnings as land reclamation will continue to be a challenge in the weeks, months and years to come.
Marshall stated "They [producers] are worried about the future. Whether it be in the next coming months and getting access to the grain that is in the bins from last year or the future after that. How are they going to harvest the 10 to 20 to 30 percent that they did get seeded? And then the future beyond that. How are they going to reclaim the land so they can seed it next spring? So it's not just today, its tomorrow and the day after that."
"It was said very clearly earlier by one of the group here. We've got to be unified. We have to speak with a unified voice. Let's determine what the ask is, and speak with a unified voice. If everyone pulls together, we can make this happen. Whether it's an agricultural issue and we deal through a general farm organization like APAS, or if it's an RM issue and they deal with that through SARM. We need to speak with unified voices and get something done."
