Wotherspoon launching tour, calls for action on drought

The NDP’s Deputy Agriculture critic Trent Wotherspoon is set to hit the road to meet producers and leaders in areas of the province ravaged by drought conditions.

Wotherspoon will be going to five rural municipalities including the Rural Municipality of Big Stick, which declared a local emergency last month, as well as Waverley, Maple Creek, Enterprise and Fox Valley. 

He plans to meet producers and local leaders and hear from them about how farm and ranch operations are being hit.

“Really, what we're seeing in this province right now, in parts of this province, you know, if you look at the southwest, is utter devastation caused by drought,” said Wotherspoon. 

“Drought conditions are deep. Feed is non-existent. Water is scarce. And the pressure on farm and ranch families is building by the day.”

Wotherspoon particularly noted that in the southwest, the drought “has been protracted, a severe drought going on nine years. This is a very serious situation. These aren't just tough years. For many, this is a breaking point...

“What our government chooses to do in face of this, you know, really could shape the future of those livelihoods and those rural communities in that entire region.”

Wotherspoon said it had been a month since he called on both the provincial and the federal governments to step up with urgent support.

“We just haven't seen meaningful leadership or action from the provincial government in face of these very serious threats to producers in these drought-affected areas,” said Wotherspoon.