Farmers will have up to 15 extra days to seed certain crops
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) is providing farmers affected by wildfires with more time to seed crops and qualify for insurance coverage.
The extensions apply to farmers in the northern and western parts of the province who had to leave their farms.
“AFSC is extending the recommended seeding dates for clients who are impacted by the mandatory evacuations or have land impacted by the wildfires,” AFCS said in a May 26 statement.
The Alberta government website lists the communities currently with evacuation orders and alerts.
Multiple crops are receiving five extra days.
Farmers in affected areas seeding Argentine canola, mixed grains, oats and spring wheat will now have until June to seed and receive coverage. This is a five-day extension from the May 31 deadline.
Producers seeding Polish canola will have until June 15 compared to the original May 31 deadline.
And farmers seeding barley, spring rye and spring triticale will also have until June 15 to seed and receive coverage. The previous date for these crops was June 5.
“Clients who seed within the extended recommended seeding dates who were impacted by the mandatory evacuations, or have land impacted by the wildfires, will be covered for quality (grade) loss,” AFSC says.
AFSC is not changing the recommended seeding date for any other clients or to dates for other crops with seeding deadlines. And the Land Report filing deadline of June 20 remains in place.
Farmers seeking more information are encouraged to contact their local AFSC branch.