Support for the solidarity of Canadian agriculture in year marked by extreme climate events

This year, Canada’s farmers have been hit hard by extreme weather, including the drought across western Canada and in northern Ontario, and the flooding and landslides that struck British Columbia 

 

Despite these challenges, many stepped up in solidarity to help their fellow farmers and ranchers from across the country.

“The past year for our producers has been marked by numerous challenges related to climate change,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, stated. “They have demonstrated great strength of character, the willingness to rebuild, extraordinary resilience and also exceptional solidarity.”

During an event today with President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) Mary Robinson, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of up to $4 million towards the CFA’s Hay West 2021 initiative.

“They were able to rely on each other, and on our government, no matter where they were in the country, making it easier for everyone to bounce back,” Bibeau added. “By investing in Hay West, our government is bolstering the solidarity that unites our agricultural producers.” 

 

“By investing in Hay West, our government is bolstering the solidarity that unites our agricultural producers“ 

Through Hay West 2021, the CFA is connecting Eastern farmers with Western and northern Ontario farmers in need of feed. The Government of Canada and corporate sponsors are helping to offset the freight costs to transport hay between those farmers. In September, the government approved $1 million, which has helped transport approximately 150 shipments (5.6 million pounds) of hay to feed 16,750 cattle. Over the coming months, up to $3 million in additional funding will continue to support the movement of hay across the country.

“They were able to rely on each other, and on our government, no matter where they were in the country, making it easier for everyone to bounce back,” Bibeau added. “By investing in Hay West, our government is bolstering the solidarity that unites our agricultural producers.” 

Hay West is a beacon of solidarity during a year that has been marked by extreme weather events affecting the lives of Canadian farmers, who are on the front lines of climate change. In response to this year’s historic drought – the worst in more than 60 years – the Government of Canada and the governments of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario came together to make available up to $825 million in cost-shared AgriRecovery disaster relief funding.

“CFA is appreciative of AAFC’s contribution of up to $4 million to Hay West 2021,” Mary Robinson, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture said. “This funding will help offset transportation costs to move hay from eastern Canadian farms to western Canadian farms, helping a portion of western farmers and ranchers who have experienced a catastrophic drought. Without hay, a vital part of a cow’s diet, these ranchers and farmers face the difficult decision to prematurely cull herds.”  

This funding has already helped thousands of livestock producers, particularly cattle producers, cover the extraordinary costs they faced this year, including to obtain livestock feed, transportation and water. The federal and provincial governments also made changes to adjust the farmer income supports under the AgriStability program and, in the Prairies, to adjust the AgriInsurance program so that drought-damaged crops could be used for feed.

The solidarity of Canadian agriculture can also be seen in B.C., where 30 farms are still under evacuation orders and thousands more have been devastated by the effects of flooding and landslides, which have submerged crops and affected the welfare of livestock. Farmers and their communities, with the help of emergency forces, have succeeded in saving thousands of animals and helping many farmers with their urgent needs. Both the federal and provincial governments are currently fast tracking a joint assessment through the AgriRecovery framework to provide support to producers through a disaster relief package.

“The impact of the 2021 drought has been devastating and the need for hay and funding for this program will continue until pastures are available in mid 2022, Robinson added. “CFA will continue to seek additional funding from both the government and corporate donors to help move as much hay as possible, and to save as many animals as possible over the coming months.”

The Government of Canada is committed to the long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector, and building its resilience to extreme weather events. In the past year it has announced over $550 million in new programming, including the Agricultural Climate Solutions and Agricultural Clean Technology programs, to help farmers and agri-food businesses implement sustainable practices and technologies that help to mitigate climate change.