I've Been Waiting....

[pandiana]

..to hear from Alberta Agriculture, Agriculture Canada or someone regarding just what concrete help is forthcoming to assist farmers in drought regions. We here rumors, innuendo, numbers etc. Some of the desparate acts may be avoided if people had all the 'cards' on the table. Are they waiting for as many cattlemen to liquidate at firesale prices before they step in? Most of us, I think, are trying to weigh our options. How much, if any, of our herds can be salvaged. Will there be a transportation susidy for moving hay or cattle out of or in to drought areas respectively? Does anyone have answers yet?

[Got_Hay_Here_2]

I can get you lots of Hy here in Ontario at fair prices. But you have to arrange pick up. We have bails and Rolls.. Lots!! perhaps the gov't will subsidize the trucking fee?
HayforSale@fieldscales.com

[corine]

Pandiana, I phoned someone in Edmonton about exactly this just last Tuesday. We talked for about 1/2 hour and I told him we need some guidance. I guess he took his concerns higher up, phoned me back & said an announcement was "imminent" so I asked him how imminent? "You'll just have to wait"
What bull! They want us to do "risk management" but when it comes down to it they leave us in the dark.
So since I was in the mood anyway, I phoned the county of Red Deer & asked them why they have not declared it a drought area. Someone phoned me back the next day (sounded like a summer student)to ask me why I thought this to be so? "Because, like, Delburne has had rain?"
I replied that our area has only had 9/10 of an inch or rain since the snow melted. So she asked me if this was less than normal?!? Hah, I didn't even lose my cool. But it may be a good idea if a few of you phoned in to let these people know that it is dry out there.

[pandiana]

Corine, who did you talk to in Edmonton?

I have just reviewed Alberta Agriculture Site
http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/agdisaster/d_preparing.html

I was not able to find one reference or link to contact regarding drought assistance.

As usual they seem to think they have all the answers but they have totally disregarded the economic realities. For example, buy 1 years worth of feed to keep on reserve for disasters. Of course, you pay for this with the extra from your calf crop that you won't need for paying expenses. What about spoilage, and risk with storage?
What about the fact that drought doesn't happen overnight with clear warning signs. Alberta has been experiencing drought in many areas to some degree for at least 3 years. Many of us have squeeked through the last few years buy the skin of our teeth hoping next year will be different. The result has been as steady loss of feed reserves, deterioration of pastures and fields and rise in feed prices. Stricken areas have depleted what reserves may have been available as we watch truck load after truck load of hay trucked out of our area, much of it paid for by the assistance of subsidies.

[dalek]

It'll probably be the same kind of deal as the drought assistance here last year, deferral of taxes for anybody selling more than a given percentage of their herd. Which, of course, applied mainly to A) older farmers who were already planning on selling in a couple of years and just sold off earlier because of the drought or B) hobby farmers who were in it for the fun times but once it got a little tough they were happy to get out for a year or two. As for the guys who were committed to staying in the industry and did everything they could to hold on to their herds, they were on their own.

[cowman]

Corine: Don't bother phoning anyone who works at the County of Red Deer. It is a total gong show and they basically know nothing. One notable exception is the new agricultural fieldman, Art Preachuk. Ask for him directly and you might get a straight answer. He was the manager of the local Agrium until this year and he is well aware of how bad it is out there. His hiring was the one thing county council has ever done that was right!
The fact is it is your county counsel that is dithering and your best bet is to get in touch with your councillor(probably J. Perry if you live in division 1) and give him an earful. These councillors are paid very well to get things done and they are very sensitive to criticism. After all who wants to lose that $50,000 /yr. part time job?

[corine]

Pandiana, sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been trying to find the sheet of paper I had hanging around the phone where I jotted the numbers down, but can't find it got the number by phoning hail & crop who referred me to someone else, who referred me to someone else.....etc. You know. Guy I think was called Jack.
Cowman, my rep used to be Gehrky, now it's Vander something. Still no announcement from the county. When I read what some of the other counties are doing Red Deer seems to be pretty unresponsive.
Anyway, I guess we may get an announcement today re. drought assistance.