After weeks of fierce advocacy on behalf of Saskatchewan鈥檚 agricultural producers during COVID-19, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) will have the opportunity to address the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on Friday, June 12 at 3:00- 4:00 pm EDT (1:00-2:00 pm CST).
聽APAS President Todd Lewis will present recommendations for changes to Business Risk Management (BRM) programs, including an increase to AgriStability coverage levels and an elimination of the Reference Margin Limit.
鈥淐OVID-19 has made it clear that the BRM programs designed to help farmers in a crisis just aren鈥檛 working,鈥� says Mr. Lewis from his farm near Gray, SK. 鈥淲e need to see real change, and I鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to speak to decision makers about how they can make meaningful improvements to the system.鈥�
APAS has been vocal about the need to reform to Canada鈥檚 BRM programs since 2013, when significant changes were made to AgriStability, the main program designed to provide support to farmers facing income declines. Although farm incomes in Saskatchewan have declined steadily since 2015, fewer than half of eligible producers are currently enrolled in AgriStability.
鈥淧roducers have largely given up on the program,鈥� says Lewis, going on to explain that low coverage levels, administrative barriers, and unequal coverage to certain types of farms (including livestock and mixed farm operations) have resulted in low participation. Although the program has been under review for three years, no changes have been made.
APAS has released updated research that demonstrates the limitations of the AgriStability program. The APAS example shows that there would have to be a catastrophic drop of over 40% in the price of canola (a decrease of $11/bushel to $6.35/bushel) before it would trigger AgriStability coverage under the current model.
鈥淎PAS has been warning that AgriStability doesn鈥檛 work for years,鈥� says Lewis. 鈥淣ow with COVID-19 producers are experiencing firsthand how the program is failing. It鈥檚 the perfect opportunity to make changes that will ensure a more food secure Canada going forward.鈥�
