With the extreme dry conditions in Alberta this summer, it has been tough on area farmers and ranchers.
In an announcement on Tuesday, 340 million dollars is being made available to ranchers in Alberta this summer, through Agri-Recovery. The province's Ag Minister Devin Dreeshen said Tuesday, ranchers can now apply through AFSC for funding of up to 200 dollars per head to help cover feed and other costs that have been adding up for many, as a result of this summer's drought.
Cattle and bison will be eligible for an initial payment of 94 dollars per head. That money is expected to start flowing quickly to producers. They can also sign up for a secondary payment of 106 dollars per head which is expected to be delivered by the federal government, before the end of this year. The program terms and conditions are now being posted on AFSC's website. "We know it's been an extremely challenging year for livestock producers," shares CEO of AFSC Darryl Kay. "This program is really designed to help them, compensate them for extraordinary feed costs that they've incurred because of the drought and the extreme high temperatures."
The program will be offered through AFSC. Producers can apply for an initial Agri-Recovery payment through the 2021 Canada-Alberta Livestock Feed Assistance Initiative to help cover feed and water access costs for breeding female livestock across the province. Program terms and conditions are posted on AFSC’s website. An AFSC Connect account is required to receive payments. Directions on how to sign up for AFSC Connect are available on AFSC’s website.
Kay encourages producers to set up for direct deposit to allow the funds to get to them as quick as possible. The hope is the initial payments could be in producer's bank accounts by as early as the last week of September. The deadline for applications for the initial payment is October 31 and is based on the levels of inventory as of August 6, according to Kay.
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