By Wednesday September 1, Ag producers will be able to apply for relief through the 2021 Canada-Saskatchewan Drought Response Initiative.
InĀ making the announcement, provincial Agriculture Minister David Marit noted that the Initiative will comprise two payments totaling up to $200/head for cattle. Adjustments will be based on animal unit equivalents for other livestock.
Producers will benefit from an initial payment of $100 per breeding female equivalent in inventory as of August 1, and a secondary payment of up to $100 per breeding female equivalent in inventory as of December 31, 2021.
Eligible livestock include Canadian-owned female beef and dairy cattle, bison, elk, sheep or goats that are bred or intended to be bred. The number of open replacement females that can be considered eligible livestock is 15 per cent of the total number of bred females.
Marit had previously announced that $119 million was being made available for drought-affected livestock producers through AgriRecovery under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Funding is shared on a 60-40 federal-provincial basis.
Officials indicate the Canada-Saskatchewan Drought Response Initiative is designed to provide financial relief to livestock producers impacted by this year’s drought. It offers a per-head-payment on female breeding livestock.
More details on the Initiative and how to apply will be available on the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation’s website.