Released on June 30, 2009
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation will implement two further measures after Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud toured affected parts of west central and northwest Saskatchewan.
"I have now seen first-hand the impact the drought is having on this year's crops and pastures," Bjornerud said. "These additional measures were requested by the producers I met with last week during my tour of the drought area."
First, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance will raise the threshold at which a producer will be eligible for full payment for a crop loss. Increasing this level means more producers will be eligible for a full payout.
There is an established threshold level per crop. For example, producers with yields below five bushels/acre of wheat will be eligible for a full payout, up from 2.49 bushels/acre previously.
The second measure allows producers to spray out or till their crop and be eligible for summerfallow coverage next year. This must be accomplished before July 15.
Three other measures were introduced last week: including extending the greenfeed seeding deadline from June 30 to July 15; allowing producers who have Crop Insurance to seed and insure any cereal greenfeed crop; and an increased number of producers will now have their claims processed without field inspection in order to receive their payments faster.
For more information on all program changes, producers should contact their local Crop Insurance office.
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For more information, contact:
Daniel Jungwirth
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation
Melville
Phone: 306-728-7427
Email: daniel.jungwirth@scic.gov.sk.ca