Manitoba Agriculture Minister Blaine Pederson says there are hidden costs to farmers in the proposals federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau outlined for AgriStability.
She said the federal government will use the changes to
increase help for farmers by 50 per cent. It has been welcomed by farm groups
such as Beef Farmers of Ontario and Grain Farmers of Ontario.
But Pederson said it could undermine crop insurance and
farmers might end up with less coverage over the long term.
Bibeau’s plan is, at this stage, still a proposal and requires
approval from the provinces and territories which pay 40 per cent of the costs
for a suite of business risk management programs.
Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman has welcomed
Bibeau’s proposals as a good start for negotiations.
