Governments respond to impact of cold weather on Nova Scotia’s agriculture sector
News release
July 19, 2018 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture
Nova Scotia’s agriculture sector contributes $565 million to Canada’s economy, with more than $314 million in exports. Governments remain committed to growing Nova Scotia’s agricultural sector by ensuring producers have the tools they need to manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms.
A severe cold snap in June 2018, which caused widespread crop damage across Nova Scotia, is expected to result in significant income challenges for a number of producers. To ensure producers have access to the support they need, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia have agreed to trigger the late participation mechanism under AgriStability for the 2018 program year. The announcement was made today by Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Nova Scotia Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell at the annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers in Vancouver.
The late participation mechanism, a new feature introduced under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, allows producers to join and benefit from the program after the enrolment deadline has passed in situations where there is a significant income decline in the farm sector and a gap in participation.
Quotes
"We recognize that Nova Scotia producers were hit hard with cold weather this spring, losing much of their production. I’m pleased that the new AgriStability late trigger mechanism under the Partnership will ensure producers can access government support in their time of real need. We encourage all Nova Scotia producers to take full advantage of the business risk management programs, such as AgriStability, in order to build a stronger, more resilient agriculture sector."
- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“Agriculture is a backbone of our provincial economy and helps to secure jobs and economic benefits for our rural communities. We’re pleased that we have been able to work with our partners in the federal government to quickly begin delivering relief for our farmers who have been affected by the late frost in June.”
- Keith Colwell, Nova Scotia Agriculture Minister
Quick facts
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Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, producers continue to have access to a robust suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to help manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farm and are beyond their capacity to manage.
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AgriStability provides support when producers experience a large margin decline. AgriInvest provides cash flow to help producers manage income declines. AgriInsurance provides cost-shared insurance against natural hazards to reduce the financial impact of production or asset losses.
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More information on late participation for 2018 AgriStability will be mailed to Nova Scotia producers in the coming weeks. For more information on AgriStability, producers can visit the program website or call toll-free at 1-866-367-8506.
Associated links
Contacts
Guy Gallant
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
613-773-1059
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
media.relations@agr.gc.ca
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