Enhancements announced for federal AgriStability program to combat drought, tariffs
In a recent virtual meeting, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald, and Saskatchewan's Minister of Agriculture, Daryl Harrison, unveiled changes to improve AgriStability's support for farmers.
MacDonald emphasized, 'We are working together to deliver for producers right across the country to make sure our programs work for them. That is why, at our meeting last week, we agreed to make changes to AgriStability so that producers facing trade uncertainty and dry conditions have more protection.'
For 2025, AgriStability participants will see their compensation rate increase to 90 per cent from 80 per cent. This change means farmers experiencing a significant decline in their margins will receive 90 cents for every dollar of loss.
Story continues below advertisement
Additionally, the maximum payout per operation is rising to $6 million from $3 million.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Supporting producers with immediate changes to AgriStability increases the effectiveness of the program,' Harrison said.
'Reliable and effective business risk management programs help protect against large declines in producers' margins and are an important tool for a strong agricultural sector in Saskatchewan.'
Bill Prybylski, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), welcomed these changes but noted there is still room for improvement.
'It's nice to see that the compensation level increased from 80 to 90 per cent, but we're still only looking at a 70 per cent coverage level. So, there's still areas of the programming that we would like to see improved.'
Saskatchewan's agricultural sector is currently facing a combination of challenges, from tariffs on key exports like canola and pork to severe drought conditions affecting various regions.
The changes to AgriStability come at a crucial time for farmers who are dealing with both immediate and ongoing financial pressures.
While some livestock producers will need to wait until 2026 for changes to feed inventory pricing, this adjustment is expected to better reflect the real-world conditions of farms, particularly during drought years.
'We're optimistic about the changes for livestock producers, particularly in drought-stricken areas,' said Prybylski. 'But there's still more work to be done to make sure the program fully addresses the unique needs of farmers across the province.'
Story continues below advertisement
The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) has already started implementing the updates, and producers are encouraged to review their eligibility.
The deadline for enrollment in AgriStability for the 2025 program year has been extended to July 31, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
Canadian leaders hold final day of talks in Ontario cottage country
The third and final day of meetings in Ontario's cottage country is dawning, with bail reform expected to be the major talking point for Canada's premiers. Since Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has hosted provincial and territorial premiers in Muskoka for discussions dominated by trade talks, including a briefing from the prime minister. Monday featured a meeting which ran for roughly three hours of talks with Indigenous leaders, before Ford hosted premiers and the prime minister at his family cottage for dinner. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The second day was dominated by the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney chaired a briefing with premiers on the odds that a deal with the States can be reached. Thirty-five per cent tariffs are currently scheduled for Aug. 1. While the premiers and prime minister appeared to broadly agree about the threat from the United States, the need to improve internal trade and concerns about Trump's unpredictability, they emerged with few concrete solutions. Story continues below advertisement A news release issued directly after the meeting wrapped earlier than expected pointed to the need to work quickly on major projects and to coordinate federal tariff responses. It did not include any specific retaliation that the council had agreed upon, nor did it identify nation-building projects they would all back. Tuesday ended with an evening reception for the premiers, Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus members and other major stakeholders. The final Wednesday morning meeting, which will touch on bail reform among other potential topics, will be followed by a news conference from the premiers.
Global News
9 hours ago
- Global News
Taxpayer-funded gift card purchases in Richmond stretch back to last decade
The excessive purchase of gift cards with taxpayer dollars at the City of Richmond appears to extend back into the last decade, a Global News investigation has discovered. Since January, Global News has been reporting on the excessive amount of money spent on purchasing gift cards in that city. At first, Richmond tried to say the cards were mostly for long service recognition. But the numbers didn't add up. Richmond has since admitted $295,000 worth of gift cards are unaccounted for. 2:24 Richmond staff internal memo on gift cards A forensic audit is now underway, along with an RCMP criminal investigation, and at least one employee has been fired. Story continues below advertisement Global News has now obtained documents through the freedom of information process showing gift card purchases for the years 2019 to 2022. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The FOI request returned more than 1,000 pages of documents. We're still analyzing the numbers but can report some early findings. It's apparent gift card purchases were excessive those years. Taxpayers bought cards for Lululemon, Cineplex, Netflix, Fairmont Hotels, Petro Canada, Indigo and numerous restaurants. 2:14 Richmond to audit decade of gift cards Other examples include $200 dollars of Starbucks gift cards, with a note indicating they were 'office supplies.' Taxpayers also bought Visa and Mastercard gift cards – essentially the equivalent of cash. In one two-month period in 2021, over $4,000 of these cards were purchased in $50 and $75 denominations from drug stores, gas stations, and Best Buy. Each card had a $5 dollar activation fee. Story continues below advertisement Richmond previously said the gift cards were never reported to Revenue Canada. Some cards were requested by the individual who was fired, but not all. We're analyzing the numbers and will have more in the days ahead. Meanwhile, Richmond RCMP say their investigation remains active and ongoing.
Global News
10 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. couple asked to pay duties on family heirloom returned to them from U.S.
A B.C. couple says they were stunned to discover they were being asked to pay duties on a family heirloom that was shipped back to them from a friend in Washington state. James Baker-Taylor and Andrea Nelson got married in 2024 after 10 years together. Baker-Taylor's father, Jimmy, had passed away in 2022 but he had given his son his ring that he could use for a wedding ring. 'He didn't have a lot of things to leave me so, the ring… He gave that to me maybe 20 years ago,' Baker-Taylor told Global News. 'So, that's why we had decided to use that ring and then one of his other rings.' When the couple was visiting family in Washington state, Baker-Taylor took off the ring to have a shower and forgot to put it back on. Story continues below advertisement They arranged to have it insured for $500 and shipped back to their Nanaimo home. 'When they showed up with the package, we were very surprised to learn that it was going to be $189,' Nelson said. 'I was stunned. I was flabbergasted by the whole thing.' Baker-Taylor said he was shaking and very upset about the process. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The couple refused to pay the fees, which included government charges and a brokerage fee. UPS is now holding the package in Canada until the fees are paid. 'We were told verbally there's a duty, a tariff, and a brokerage fee,' Baker-Taylor said. 'It all comes to $189. The taxes seem silly to me. There's no purchase, it's not a sale, not an item being taxed. Brokerage? It's not a precious item coming over as a commodity, which I think is the reason for brokerage. We've only been explained these things verbally by a person across a counter so it's difficult to understand.' 2:07 Cross-border report shows how much less Canadians are spending in U.S. In a statement, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it collects duty and taxes on personal (non-commercial) goods imported into Canada. Story continues below advertisement 'Under certain conditions, bequests of personal and household goods may be imported by residents of Canada as duty- and tax-free,' the statement read. 'At the time of importation, the importer must provide documentation to attest to the circumstances of the bequest. The documentation provided must adequately describe the goods being imported and identify the importer as a beneficiary of the estate.' CBSA said the prime document used for this purpose is a copy of the deceased person's will. If there is no will then a signed and dated statement from the donor, transferring ownership of the item, may be used. 'If importing goods by courier for personal use, the courier may account for the shipment and collect any applicable duties and taxes from the importer,' CBSA said. 'Couriers or customs brokers may also charge administrative fees for their services, and third-party fees such as these are not regulated by the Government of Canada.' Baker-Taylor does not have a will for his father because the ring was given to him while his dad was still alive. Nelson said it did not make sense to them to pay money to get something back that was already in their possession. 'Heirlooms get exchanged all the time,' she said. Story continues below advertisement The couple said they are sharing their story to make sure others do not get caught in the same loop. 'It's a bit of a process that I find unreasonable,' Baker-Taylor said, 'and I think there needs to be some serious changes.'
