Drought relief program expanded for Manitoba livestock producers under AgriRecovery framework

The Canada and Manitoba governments are continuing to support livestock producers by expanding the eligibility of allowable expenses of the Livestock Feed and Transportation Drought Assistance program. Today, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced the addition of extraordinary expenses producers incurred in accessing feed, water, and pasture, as part of the program, to address the challenges faced throughout the drought in 2021.
Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Livestock Feed and Transportation Drought Assistance program was established to help producers purchase and test feed for livestock to maintain their breeding herds, including transporting purchased feed from distant locations.
Many producers obtained feed and maintained their herds through baling extra acres, renting extra pasture, hauling water, and taking other extraordinary actions. Among the added eligible extraordinary costs now covered are expenditures related to accessing additional crop or pasture acres, temporary fencing for supplemental grazing, hauling water, harvesting extra acres or hauling self-produced feed from distant locations.
Eligible animals under the Livestock Feed and Transportation Drought Assistance program include breeding animals of beef and dairy cattle, horses raised for pregnant mare urine, sheep, goats, bison and elk. Producers must be supporting a minimum of 10 animals to qualify for assistance and the program covers feed, feed transportation, and related extraordinary expenses incurred between June 1, 2021, and March 15, 2022.
The Livestock Feed and Transportation Drought Assistance program has already processed more than 1,000 claims, with new claims accepted on an ongoing basis until the deadline of April 15, 2022.
The Government of Canada and Manitoba will continue to work in collaboration to support farmers during this challenging period to ensure they have access to the necessary resources to maintain competitiveness.

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