Ontario Delivering Emergency Drought Support for Northwestern Farmers

FORT FRANCES – The Ontario government is following through on its commitment to support livestock farmers impacted by drought conditions in northwestern Ontario by launching AgriRecovery.

“AgriRecovery support is crucial to help farmers recover from this ongoing drought conditions that has seriously impacted area crops,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “We took action earlier this summer to provide immediate and urgent assistance to help impacted farmers in northwestern Ontario, and I’m pleased that this program is now in place to provide greater assurance and stability in the region’s food security for the coming years.”

AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial-territorial relief framework to help agricultural producers with the extraordinary costs associated with recovering from natural disasters. Eligible costs will be supported on the 60-40 cost-shared federal-provincial basis outlined under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The Province is providing up to $5 million to help farmers with the cost of caring for their animals now and through the winter. This investment builds on the previously announced $2 million in provincial support for the Northwestern Livestock Emergency Assistance Initiative which provided assistance for emergency feed, water and fencing.

The Canada-Ontario Transported Feed AgriRecovery Initiative is now accepting applications until November 1, 2021 and will provide emergency support to producers who are incurring extraordinary costs to feed livestock due to drought conditions in the Kenora, Rainy River and Thunder Bay regions. The maximum funding available per applicant is $220 per head of cattle. Other livestock species such as bison, elk, equine, alpacas, llamas, deer, sheep and goat are eligible as well.

“Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with northwestern Ontario farmers working day in and day out to deal with this difficult summer season,” said Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora-Rainy River and Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry; Minister of Indigenous Affairs. “This additional investment reaffirms our commitment to ensure farmers have the support they need as we head into the winter months.”

“Beef Farmers of Ontario is very pleased by today’s launch of the Canada-Ontario Transported Feed AgriRecovery Initiative,” said Rob Lipsett, President of Beef Farmers of Ontario. “We appreciate the province’s efforts to ensure support is provided to livestock producers in the northwest as they manage through one of the worst droughts in recent memory. BFO commends Minister Thompson’s continued leadership and support throughout the 2021 drought.”