Sask. farm group appeals to Ottawa to help producers affected by feed shortage
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Two extremely dry years have left some producers with no choice but to sell portions of their herds because hay is not available and feed costs are too high, according to the president of the Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan.
Todd Lewis said he has written a letter Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAuley requesting a 2018 Livestock Tax Deferral Program for all producers affected by a feed shortage.
“We’re hearing from our members that shortages are widespread across most of Saskatchewan,” Lewis explained in a written statement. “Despite the fact that some rain did fall earlier this year, the showers were extremely spotty and there are very few areas with a surplus to make up the difference. The hay shortage and dry pastures are still dire enough to force the sale of livestock.”
The Livestock Tax Deferral program would provide temporary tax relief to producers who are facing difficult business decisions through no fault of their own. Producers who sell part of their breeding herd due to drought or flooding in prescribed drought or flood regions could defer a portion of sale proceeds to the following year.
