Ontario Calls On Ottawa For Drought Relief For Farmers

By Doug Draper

Ontario’s agriculture minister Ted McMeekin has called on his federal counterpart Gerry Ritz to provide funding support to farmers in Niagara and other regions of the province  who’ve been damaged by this summer’s extremely dry weather.

 McKeekin’s request for federal relief follows in the wake of a plea made earlier this month by Malcolm Allen, the MPP for Niagara, Ontario’s Welland riding and the federal New Democratic Party’s agriculture critic for help for drought-stricken farmers and a response from federal officials that provincial governments have to make a request for federal aide.

At the time late this July that Allen spoke out, Ontario’s provincial government had not yet approached the federal government for help for farmers. This July 31, the province’s agriculture minister finally made that approach.

“Many farmers are having a tough time with continued hot, dry conditions this year, especially in eastern Ontario,” McKeekin was quoted saying in a July 31 media release circulated by his office.. “Our government’s support gives Ontario producers the most effective response possible in difficult times.” 

“While touring farms in eastern Ontario,” the media release goes on to say, “Ted McMeekin, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, also called on the federal government to accelerate tax relief for livestock producers in affected regions through the identification of Prescribed Drought Regions.”

“Ontario is committing that farmers in Prescribed Drought Regions will be protected from reductions in their AgriStability coverage if they are:

• Experiencing challenges from the lack of rain and dry conditions.
• Forced to sell breeding stock due to hay and pasture shortages. “

 Niagara At Large will continue following all of this to see what kind of relief farmers get as they struggle with these extreme weather conditions and area consumers, in turn, face significantly higher prices for food at the grocery counter. 

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