by SUSAN MANN
Normally corn plants in the Niagara area should reach a person’s shoulder or head by now but the crop on Vuckovic Farms is only two to four feet tall, says Henry Van Ankum, Grain Farmers of Ontario chair.
Van Ankum was on hand this morning as Ontario Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin toured the farm near West Lincoln to see drought damage first hand. Grain Farmers wanted to show the minister a crop that was suffering.
The idea of the tour was to make the minister aware of the situation and the potential that things could get worse for farmers. But Grain Farmers didn’t make any requests to the minister. Van Ankum notes some areas across Ontario have had enough rain and a decent crop is shaping up while in other areas the crop is “pretty well burnt up.” A good chunk of the crop is on the fence but needs decent rain in the next week or so.
The minister says he continues to monitor the drought situation closely. In response to a National Farmers Union – Ontario request last week for drought aid, McMeekin told the organization by letter dated July 20 it’s too early to tell the full extent of damage caused by lack of rain but “be assured that we will contact the federal government again if needed.”
The minister was referring to Ontario’s request earlier this month to the federal government to begin the formal process under AgriRecovery for aid to Ontario’s apple and tender fruit farmers whose crops were damaged by frost this spring.
As for drought, Niagara Region is one area across Ontario particularly hard hit by a lack of rain, receiving only 40 to 60 per cent of normal rainfall since April 1.
McMeekin says the crops are fairly distressed in the area he toured. “They figure they will be lucky to get 50 per cent of the normal yield here and even then only if conditions are perfect over the next few weeks.” Soybeans are doing a bit better than the corn. The rain over the weekend has helped.
There’s a real sense of optimism from farmers across Ontario that “some rain will get us through the season,” McMeekin notes after touring the farm.
Another area hard hit by drought has been Renfrew County and the minister plans to go there possibly next week.
Ontario’s agriculture minister is urging all farmers with crop insurance and who are concerned about the viability of their crop because of drought to contact Agricorp. Many of them already have, he says, noting that 72 per cent of all grain farmers have crop insurance and many more are covered under the AgriStability program, part of the group of business risk management programs in the national policy framework called Growing Forward.
Agricorp spokesperson Stephanie Charest says as of July 20, they received 1,235 damage reports due to lack of rain. That amount reflects 30 per cent, or nearly one third of the total damage reports for all this year’s crops.
For apple and tender fruit farmers in Ontario with frost damage, McMeekin says they told the federal government “the level of distress is such that AgriRecovery should kick in. The feds have to go through some due diligence now to come to the same conclusion, which we anticipate will be the case.” BF
Comments
Isn't droughts,floods,ect. the reason we buy crop insurance,RMP,Agri-stability,ect. Don't complain about land costs or rents if government removes all risk . Sounds like farmers want to be on welfare and still have multi million dollar net worths. Many years ago Russia tried to do away with all risks and they called it communism
Farmers need to give their heads a shake, you have ability to take crop insuranace you are protected, farmers want it both ways, sell land for high prices offset cheap land taxes then cry for drought aid
Give your head a shake. Crop insurance for most commodities simply does not work. It cost next to nothing for the government to supply crop insurance because of re-insurance and farmers premiums.
Farmers only retirement plan is their land assets. Why shouldn't they sell it for the highest price? Would you sell your house to the lowest bidder?
Well said!! 85 % of 85% insurance amounts to less than cost of production but to be eligible for most financing, insurance is a mandatory requirement.
No one feels the same a passion or need to cap housing prices but everyone feels the need to deflate ag land pricing. If corn at 4.00 commanded rent of 200.00 why should near 10.00 corn not command 500.00? Rent is a function of worth abeit short term
In this GTA area with rising housing too many farmers have near traded farms for a house in town diminishing any retirement for him or his family. If land just like stocks is an investment why should a farmer not be able to gain just as the balance of the business society does?
Capping ag land value is the very reason commodity pricing does not follow true COP numbers with true cost lines included and makes farming and farms second class. Pay me what I am worth and I will deliver a quality dependable product. Discount my worth and my worth in comparison to the rest of society and you will get just that, discount food and quality.
We will just have to wait a year till next year to see were crop prices settle out at ,but we should expect to pay more for imputs. The usa farm bill is being gutted , there is no reason after the november election to give farmers favor because the votes are in. They dont want to raise interest rates, so the big economic problem face is there. Inflation or deflation or more the same till money runs out
Plain and simple todays farmers are modern using todays methods
Never seen anything in these posts about capping land prices , just what happens when land prices get out of control.If crop ins., 90% x float does not give you enough"protection" to day your costs are way out of line..By the way if gov't funds is the game people want then we should go down the main street of every little town and bail out merchants,gas stations,varietie stores,ice cream stands,feed companies.............
No point of caping land prices , farmers would just get more greedy, the economic world macro cycles will balance things out in due time as history repeats. The only problem is most people only get one chance per life time.
Never fear the Liberals and Concervative have our best interest in vision
Over your life in farming you see many crop seasons and when it is near over you look back and say Wow .
When you see people put in charge of agriculture you expect good management and common sense. I could say more on agricultures political and economic kissy,kissy but BT would edit it
When was the last time we got a good agriculture minister? What is the classification of a good minister?
HOW WOULD YOU RATE the agriculture ministers of the last decade?
Why is it our country had the money to build infastrucure in the last centry and now starting a new centry with all the educated people with high tec we cannot maintain and afford to replace time ravaged infastructure?
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