Local farmer Lloyd Crowe (L) shows Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal his soybean crop at Reynolds Bros Farms in Picton on September 7, 2016. Also pictured Northumberland Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi and Prince Edward County Mayor Robert Quaiff. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
This summer’s drought crisis and how it’s having a serious affect on crop yields was the focus of a round-table discussion between local farmers and Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday.
Minister Jeff Leal met with about 30 farmers at Reynolds Bros. Farms in Prince Edward County for a discussion arranged by Mayor Robert Quaiff, to hear firsthand how 60 days without solid rainfall is producing burnt and premature crops forcing them to again seek claims from the province’s insurance program as many did during severe drought conditions in 2012.
Local farmer Don Williams (R) greets Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal (L) during his visit to Reynolds Bros farms in Picton on September 7, 2016. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Leal told the group that he wanted to come down to see what farmers were going through.
“You have some places like far eastern Ontario and up north that are just fine and this this band from Peterborough County, down through Northumberland and into Hastings and Prince Edward Counties that have really felt this.”
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal (L) takes a look at Lloyd Crowe’s soybean crop on at Reynolds Bros farms in Picton on September 7, 2016. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Lloyd Crowe who is a Reynolds Bros Farms partner said he is 62 years old and he’s had a lot of farmers who are a lot older than him tell him they’ve never seen it this bad in their life.
Crowe also told the group how he plans to stop paying into the federal AgriStability program that protects producers from large declines in their farming income caused by production loss, increased costs or market conditions.
“We pay into it but you have to have such a complete disaster for it to pay out at all, that in all the years we’ve paid into it as a protection – you never trigger a payment. It’s quite expensive and you never get a payment,” he told Quinte News in an interview.
Leal said he will be meeting with the federal Minister and they are working on a new program for the upcoming years.
Farmers gather with Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal at Reynolds Bros Farms in Picton on September 7, 2016. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Crop insurance was on the minds of most farmers in attendance including Dean Foster, a long-time East Lake cash crop farmer.
He said it’s concerning how many farmers like himself are going to plug in a yield so low that they will penalized from here on out because they made a claim. He explained that next year their coverage level will be less and premiums will go up. “They average your yield over a 10-year period and I was averaging 175 bushels per acre and this year I will be lucky to get 40. We had a similar situation in 2012 where I was averaging 182 bushels,” Foster explained.
Minister Leal was very receptive to the concerns brought forward and said he will be taking them to his officials to discuss next steps.
He said while the government has risk management and crop insurance programs they have to make sure they are responding in a sensible and responsible fashion.
When it comes to further compensation, Leal and Northumberland Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi said they are assessing every situation.
Finally, Leal thanked Rinaldi and Mayor Quaiff for inviting him to come and meet with farmers and assess the conditions they are facing today.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal inspects a premature stalk of corn. Also pictured: Northumberland Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi, Lloyd Crowe and Prince Edward County Mayor Robert Quaiff. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber/Quinte News)
