SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mr. Francis Drouin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)

Oct/19/23 6:38:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since this is my first chance to take part in a discussion with you in the chair, I want to congratulate you on your new role. I want you to know that you have my full respect and confidence, as is my duty as an MP. I want to thank my colleague from Yorkton—Melville for this opportunity to talk about our support for producers in Saskatchewan who are impacted by severe drought conditions. Our hearts go out to producers during these extremely challenging times. With winter coming, cattle producers are facing difficult decisions about their herds, and many producers have suffered lower grain yields because of drought. We are talking about the cumulative damage of multiple years of drought on pastures and forage production, leading to low feed supply for livestock producers. To address the member's question, the federal government is working as quickly as possible with the Saskatchewan government on AgriRecovery, and we will have more to say on this very soon. AgriRecovery allows federal, provincial and territorial governments to work together when natural disasters like this occur. Just so the producers understand, this is not a federal- or provincial-only decision. Both the province and the federal assessors get together and make an assessment based on the AgriRecovery framework they have both signed on to, with a five-year agreement, to say yes, this is a natural disaster or drought that has impacted our producers, and they work within that framework. We have a lot of experience, unfortunately, with the B.C. floods and with hurricane Fiona. In fact, this is something that both provincial assessors and federal assessors have too much experience with because of climate change disasters. Producers can help write down this income by claiming the cost of buying new breeding animals for the following year. This will reduce the tax burden from the original sale. Again, the goal is to help producers who are facing difficult herd management decisions. Saskatchewan producers also have access to all of our business risk management programs. Business risk management programs are the first line of defence for producers facing disasters like this one. Our government has already supported Saskatchewan's request for an increase to the interim payment rate of AgriStability from 50% to 75%. We have increased the compensation rate for AgriStability from 70% to 80%, starting with the 2023 program year. That means more support in times of need. We have also partnered with the province on a one-year adjustment to the AgriInsurance program to make more drought-damaged crops available for feed. The vast majority of Saskatchewan producers enrolled in forage insurance have received payments, and 60% of their premiums are covered by the federal government. My message is that our government is here for Saskatchewan farmers. They deserve and have our unwavering support. I have been to Saskatchewan. The minister has been to Saskatchewan. We will always have the backs of our farmers and cattle producers. We know they are going through a rough time. I know the member is advocating for her constituents, and I respect that. We will have good news to share with members very shortly.

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Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mrs. Cathay Wagantall

Oct/19/23 6:41:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the kind words, but they are not enough. Producers are desperate right now. The Province of Saskatchewan has come forward, so there must be some kind of an agreement in place. This money is cash flow they need to move forward. We are in October. We are talking about a desperate need for food for breeding cattle. The time for federal assistance has long passed. I am tired of hearing “It's coming soon”. It is not coming soon. Saskatchewan's cattlemen and livestock producers need a federal government that is there for them during these hard times. This is one of those hard times. They are not new to drought, but this is very desperate. I know the minister is an experienced member of cabinet. He has served in this role before. I know he is aware of the essential role that cattle and all livestock play in the health of our grasslands, the health of our environment, our food security and Canada's trade with the world. Producer families rely on providing excellent food to the world, and our economy relies on their success. The cost of food has already crippled the ability of countless families to make ends meet. We need the government to step up now.

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Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mr. Francis Drouin

Oct/19/23 6:43:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's comments. Obviously with AgriRecovery, it is not a provincial or federal decision. It is a decision made by the federal and provincial governments, as we have done with B.C., as we have done with P.E.I. and as we have done with Nova Scotia. The timeline will be the same. We will respect both timelines. I know when folks are facing a crisis, it can never be quick enough. However, I assure my hon. colleague that the minister and our government have the hearts of cattlemen and livestock producers in Saskatchewan in mind. We will have a timely response in due time.

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