Governments extend forage transport program

Monday, March 18, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario’s livestock farmers in designated drought areas now have more time to transport forages for breeding animals after the federal and provincial governments announced a  deadline extension for the transportation assistance program.

The governments announced Friday that under the Canada-Ontario Forage and Livestock Transportation Assistance Initiative farmers will have until June 1 to transport forages and then to June 14 to send their forms in to Agricorp. The program was announced in December 2012 and provides almost $2.4 million to help affected livestock farmers in designated drought areas of eastern and southwestern Ontario buy feed for their breeding herds over winter.

Ontario Cattlemen’s Association President Dan Darling says in an email “the 11-week extension will provide our farmers with more time to access funds to help them through the feed challenges many farmers experienced this past winter.”

Livestock farmers are eligible for up to 14 cents per tonne per kilometre to help pay for transporting forages or up to 7.5 cents per kilometre per animal to move their animals to available feed.

More information and details on how to apply are available on the Agricorp website. BF