by BETTER FARMING STAFF
Farmers have until April 11 to comment on the Ontario government’s proposed agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy.
Peter Jeffery, a senior researcher in the Farm Policy Group of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said the OFA board “hasn’t taken a formal position on the discussion paper.” However, he said, they meet March 15 and 16 and a response could come out of that meeting.
The proposed strategy is part of the implementation of the province’s Strategy for Preventing and Managing Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Ontario (2008) also incorporating initial feedback received through consultations held in 2010.
Suggested revisions include:
• increasing maximum compensation values for farmers;
• expanding the compensation eligibility for livestock damage to beehives and related equipment to include skunks, raccoons and deer;
• removing proposed requirements for repeat claimants to enroll in a mandatory workshop;
• phasing in requirements for producers to have a valid premises ID;
• and eliminating the requirement that producers file an affidavit with the municipality to file a claim.
Money would be made available for groups to enhance or develop best management practices related to agriculture-wildlife conflicts. Funding for the overall program would be cost-shared between the Ontario and federal governments and no premiums or administrative fees would be charged to producers under the program. BF
Comments
do the new rules cover damages to crops by large populations of wild turkeys and Canada Geese????????
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