News release
FARMERS RECEIVE $50 MILLION IN SPRING FLOOD ASSISTANCE FUNDING
ST. ADOLPHE, Manitoba, May 23, 2006 - Canadian farmers affected by losses and damage caused by 2005 and 2006 spring flooding are getting relief through $50 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's new Cover Crop Protection Program announced by Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. The funds will help offset restoration costs for an estimated three million acres of affected farmland.
"It is a short term fix to help farmers immediately, but this money is only the beginning," said Minister Strahl in Manitoba to announce the funding. "Farmers need long-term solutions to deal with flooding and this new program is a step in that direction."
Budget 2006 provides an increase of $1.5 billion in commitments for the farm sector in the current fiscal year. The initiatives announced in the Budget include investments in future opportunities in the sector through investment in biomass science, support for a bio-fuels strategy, and new opportunities for agriculture through value-added products.
Farmers, most notably those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba where approximately 2.9 million acres of productive farmland were inundated, can receive a one-time payment of $15 per acre for flooded land. All farm operations across Canada affected by spring flooding in the 2005 and/or 2006 crop year are eligible to apply. For more information, farmers can call 1-800-667-8567.
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For more information, media can contact:
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
(613) 759-7972
1-866-345-7972
Jeff Howard
Press Secretary
Minister Strahl's Office
(613) 759-1059
BACKGROUNDER
Cover Crop Protection Program - what producers need to know
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is providing a one-time $15 per acre payment to farmers affected by spring flooding in 2005 and/or 2006. $50 million in funding has been committed and payments will be made available through AAFC's new Cover Crop Protection Program (CCP) which will help farmers restore and protect flood-damaged soil and improve cash flow in the short term for those affected by excessive moisture and spring flooding.
The application deadline is August 31, 2006 and payments are expected to flow to affected producers in the fall. CCP program application forms will be directly mailed to Production Insurance clients who made claims as the result of flooding losses in 2005 and/or 2006. Application forms are also available upon request by calling 1-800-667-8567.
AAFC is working on finalizing an ongoing program for future flooding situations across the country. The national CCP program will be ready for the 2007 production year.
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