Manitoba producers affected by extended periods of excess moisture this spring can now apply for the 2010 Canada-Manitoba Excess Moisture Assistance program being offered by the governments of Canada and Manitoba, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) Minister Stan Struthers announced last week.

“This program will provide $60 million in assistance to farms affected by the extended periods of excess moisture and help them finance the measures necessary to rehabilitate their land,” said Struthers.

Program payment will be calculated as $30 per unseeded or flooded-out acre. Flooded-out acres are those that have been destroyed by flooding to the extent the value of the remaining crop is less than the cost of harvesting it. It is expected nearly2,500 producers with approximately two million acres are eligible for this payment.

Producers who are insured under AgriInsurance will automatically be paid for eligible unseeded acres. A preprinted application for flooded-out acres will be sent to all producers to allow them to declare their acres that were seeded and subsequently destroyed by flooding.

Producers who are not enrolled in AgriInsurance will need to complete an application for compensation covering both unseeded and flooded-out acres. Applications will be available at Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) and MAFRI offices or can be downloaded from MASC’s website at www.masc.mb.ca.

The program applies to cultivated crop lands and a program deductible will apply. Established hay land, forage, pasture, shrub, wooded and perennial crop acres are not eligible. Applications from eligible producers must be received by MASC or post marked by Aug. 3.

“Impacts of excessive rainfall on pasture and hay lands are being closely monitored,” said Struthers. “Our hay listing program will be an important asset for Manitoba’s livestock producers, but I have asked officials to let me know if access to feed becomes a significant problem.”

The 2010 Canada-Manitoba Excess Moisture Assistance program is cost shared with 40 per cent from the province and 60 per cent from the federal government under the AgriRecovery framework in the Growing Forward agreement..
In Alberta's affected areas, about 370,000 acres of land remain unseeded, with more than a million acres seeded but then flooded and now "non-viable."

Saskatchewan reports about eight million unseeded and four million seeded but flooded-out acres. Manitoba expects almost 2,500 of its farmers are eligible for AgriRecovery payments on a combined total of about two million acres.

The program applies to cultivated crop lands and a program deductible will apply. Established hay land, forage, pasture, shrub, wooded and perennial crop acres are not eligible. Applications from eligible producers must be received by MASC or post marked by Aug. 3.

“Impacts of excessive rainfall on pasture and hay lands are being closely monitored,” said Struthers. “Our hay listing program will be an important asset for Manitoba’s livestock producers, but I have asked officials to let me know if access to feed becomes a significant problem.”

The 2010 Canada-Manitoba Excess Moisture Assistance program is cost shared with 40 per cent from the province and 60 per cent from the federal government under the AgriRecovery framework in the Growing Forward agreement..