The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan releasing the results from week one of their COVID 19 Survey.
Over 250 farmers took part in the survey from March 24th to April 5th.
APAS President Todd Lewis says over 70% of survey respondents said they expected the COVID 19 crisis to result in reduced commodity prices, lower revenue, and reduced cash flow; and close to half expect they may not be able to pay their bills.
“Producers talked about of course cash flow being, you know, on the financial side of their operations. Cash Flow is paramount this time of year, you know on a normal year and certainly with all the uncertainty around COVID 19”
According to the survey, 53% of respondents indicated that cash flow was an immediate financial need for their operation.
He notes going into even more debt isn’t the answer. Just look south of the border, where agriculture has received huge subsidies for years. Canadian farmers can’t compete with that, especially not during a global crisis like this noting maybe it’s time to look at Agri-Invest.
Lewis says they're also hearing from farmers that their access to farm inputs like fuel, fertilizer, veterinary services, and seed are already being disrupted.
Survey results can be viewed here and will be shared with the government and industry to help develop responses to issues faced by the agricultural sector.
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