(Twitter/@mclaudebibeau)

By Alice McFarlane

Business Risk Management Programs

Ag ministers discuss Agristability

Dec 17, 2019 | 5:08 PM

Federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers tackled business risk management programs today in Ottawa.

During a news conference at the conclusion of the meeting, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said there will be targeted improvements to the AgriStability program.

Ministers agreed to launch a pilot in select jurisdictions to make applying for support easier, by using tax return information to simplify the application process.

“The pilot program is meant to see if we can facilitate or simplify the way that producers can apply to AgriStability and the way it impacts them will be evaluated. We would be using the income tax declaration,” she said. “Why we have decided to start with Manitoba and some the Atlantic provinces is because the AgriStability program there is managed by our federal officials.”

Ministers also asked officials to change the treatment of private insurance for the 2020 program year.

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“Just opening the door to producers to go to private insurance is something that we have been asked for, and we believe that it will be a greater support to our producers,” Bibeau said.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said he was happy with that decision.

“Revenue generated from the private insurance won’t go against the producer on their AgriStability claim,” Marit said. “I think the discussion we had on AgriStability and some of the opportunities that we have to change that program will make it a better program.”

Government officials have been asked to continue analysis of businesses management programs, and report back to the ministers in April.

Bibeau said the agriculture ministers will meet for their next annual conference in Guelph in July 2020 in a better position to make further decisions.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF