The governments of Canada and Manitoba are announcing support measures to aid Manitoba's livestock producers affected by drought conditions, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support measures through its AgriInsurance program, improving cashflow for livestock producers needing to secure additional feed.
For claim calculation purposes, MASC will be applying a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40% for drought-stricken cereal crops (all varieties of wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, triticale, and grain corn) that are converted to livestock feed. This quality adjustment was last implemented in 2021 and contributed to over 100,000 acres of grain crops being converted to livestock feed.
Changes for producers with AgriInsurance coverage on forage and pastures include:
- Deferred premium deductions on payments for Forage Insurance claims made prior to October 1, 2025
- Partial claim payments on Forage Insurance and Pasture Days Insurance claims, when feasible
- Ability for livestock to graze on insured forages after the first cut without impact on claim calculation
MASC will also offer lending clients an opportunity to defer loan payments and will provide guidance on appropriate options to finance feed purchases, if needed.
AgriInsurance is a federal-provincial-producer cost-shared program. Support for the program is provided by the governments of Canada and Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
