Canola tariffs hit hard as AgriStability program falls short: Sask Oilseeds

Saskatchewan farmers might not be getting the help they need after China slapped a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola oil.

Codie Nagy, vice-chair of Sask Oilseeds, said the federal government’s move to increase the cap on the AgriStability support program doesn’t go a long way to helping most farmers.

“It’s not the lifeline we’ve been waiting for,” he said during an appearance on the Evan Bray Show on Wednesday.

Part of the issue, Nagy explained, is that the program is “unpredictable.”

“The problem with the program is it’s so varied,” he said.

“It may have a benefit for one farm, but not a benefit at all for another.”

Nagy said there is also low uptake in the program, with only 30 per cent of farms registered for AgriStability, and the other 70 per cent receiving zero benefits unless they enrol before the end of April.

“It’s not a wide benefit for the agriculture sector,” he said.