Provincial Services Available for Agricultural Producers Affected by Dry Conditions

Manitoba Agriculture is reminding agricultural producers affected by dry conditions of the programs and services available to livestock producers to manage forage shortages.  To date, low levels of precipitation and soil moisture have affected the growth of pastures and forage crops in parts of Manitoba.

Manitoba Agriculture provides a number of tools and resources for producers to manage the impact of lower forage supplies.  These include:

• alternative feeding strategies such as straw and feed grain rations, greenfeed and utilizing other crop products as feed sources;
• the Manitoba Hay Listing Service, which allows producers to list hay, pasture or alternative feed that is either available or wanted;
• forage and pasture management; and
• livestock production.

Producers with AgriInsurance contracts who intend to put their crop to alternate use are required to contact the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation for a field appraisal prior to harvesting the crop.  Crop producers managing crop residue should consider making crop residue available to livestock producers as an alternative to burning this residue.

Manitoba also provides risk management programs under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership that help producers to manage production and price risk.  These include:

• Forage insurance under the AgriInsurance program, which insures hay and pasture production and establishment against potential losses.  Producers can check their coverage and learn more at www.masc.mb.ca or by calling their local MASC office.
• AgriStability, which is a voluntary program for producers offering support following large income losses and is based on a producer’s margins.  More information is at www.agr.gc.ca/agristability.
• Western Livestock Price Insurance Program is designed to help farmers protect themselves against unexpected price declines and more information can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/price-insurance-program.html.

Producers can contact Manitoba Agriculture toll-free at 1-84-GROW-MB-AG (1-844-769-6224) for more information on any of these programs and services or go to www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture under Quick Links.