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Helping Alberta manage COVID-19

Helping Alberta manage COVID-19

The provincial government is working on an employment placement plan

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Alberta’s provincial government is working on a way to help those who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus outbreak find new employment in the meantime.

“We’re developing a jobs matching program right now,” Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen told Farms.com. “With so many people unemployed, if you were washing dishes but are no longer able to do that, well, washing potatoes isn’t much different.”

In Alberta, 50 per cent of households reported work or job loss because of COVID-19, an Angus Reid survey said.

In addition, the province’s economy could shrink by 5.5. per cent while the unemployment rate goes up to 9.5 per cent by the end of May, the TD Economics forecast says.

Alberta is also investing more money into the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC).

AFSC will receive almost $75 million to help with insurance claims and income support payments.

The government is looking at other measures as well, Dreeshen said.

“We are looking for our lending clients to offer interest-only payments, payment-free amortization and looking into extensions on insurance deadlines,” he said.

The provincial government is also asking Ottawa to do more to help the ag industry.

By declaring the agriculture and agri-food supply chain as an essential service, farmers can have peace of mind knowing they can access the goods they need to continue farming.

“We hope to hear back from the federal government soon,” Dreeshen said. “We want to make sure that the supply chain maintains so, when there’s parts that need to be ordered in the spring, farmers have confidence that dealerships are open to get those parts.”

The essential service declaration would be in addition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Farm Credit Canada (FCC) announcement.

On March 23, Trudeau increased FCC’s lending capacity by $5 billion to help the sector during the outbreak.

The investment is welcome news for the industry, Dreeshen said.

“We don’t know how the breakdown of how much Alberta’s ag industry will get, but it’s obviously great news to have more access to capital in the agricultural sector,” he said.

As of March 30, Alberta has 661 cases of COVID-19 with three deaths.


Trending Video

US “Flash Drought” Worst in 133-160 Years + Disease taking a Bite out of US 2025 Corn/Soybean Crops

Video: US “Flash Drought” Worst in 133-160 Years + Disease taking a Bite out of US 2025 Corn/Soybean Crops


A dry August and a “flash drought” in the ECB (Eastern Corn Belt) the driest top 10 to 15 years in 150 to 160 years (Ohio the driest in 133 years) plus disease is taking a bite out of the 2025 U.S. corn and soybean crops.
It's going to be an early harvest. This could be the start of the 89-year drought cycle that may have been delayed until 2026 as La Nina maybe returning.
The USDA September crop report is all about record corn ears and record soybean counts but the October USDA crop report will be about pod and ear weights.
Stats Canada reported higher forecasts for the 2025 Canadian Prairies all wheat and canola crops vs. last year based on satellite imagery but are they overestimating production?
The 2025 Great ON Yield Tour and Quebec crop tours are projecting corn and soybean crops below the 10-year average.
China's Vice Commerce Ministry Li Chenggang visits Washington this week as we continue to connect the dots is a positive sign towards a China/U.S. trade deal. But will U.S. farmers have a winter without China as they buy more soybeans from Uruguay/Argentina? U.S. Northern Plain soybean farmers are seeing red with flat prices at $8.97/bu!
U.S. corn exports on record pace up 99% vs. last year.
Fund short covering continues in corn futures bottom is in!