NDP calls for 'urgent action' for farmers while the Sask. Party says it's already providing it
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Scott Moe, Saskatchewan's NDP opposition is calling for "urgent action" to help farmers facing a potentially catastrophic growing season due to drough conditions.
"In meeting with producers, we have heard major concerns about crop yields and access to feed and water for livestock," the NDP letter said.
"Failure to act now risks farm and ranch losses, deep financial and emotional impacts for families, and major negative repercussions for the Saskatchewan economy.
In the letter, NDP leader Ryan Meili said the current conditions remind him of the "drought and insect problems" witnessed growing up on a farm in the 1980s.
"We need a serious plan to get producers and ranchers through this drought year and a long-term plan to ensure the success of the agriculture sector on which we all rely," Meili said.
In response agriculture minister David Marit thanked the NDP for its letter and pointed to steps the Sask. party government has taken including changes to Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation rules to allow low yielding crops to be cut immediately and a temporary increase to the maximum funding a livestock producer can receive under the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program.
"I can assure you I have heard these concerns loud and clear from the farmers and ranchers I speak with every day," Marit said.
"We are also working closely with our federal and provincial counterparts to explore additional options to support producers," Marit said.
The NDP's letter came the same day the federal government announced the early designation of the Livestock Tax Deferral provision for prescribed drought regions of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
It's a move that Marit said the Government of Saskatchewan welcomes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.