The provincial NDP introduced an action plan aimed at helping farmers make it through a challenging harvest. High levels of precipitation this month have put producers on the back foot during harvest season. This September has seen more than double the rainfall compared to last year and it has delayed harvest drastically. Over the past five years, around 70 percent of the crop was in the bin by mid-September. This year, only 32 percent has been collected so far, according to the latest crop report. Harvest isn’t only behind schedule. NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon says it’s far more expensive than usual. “With sky high input costs such as fertilizer and diesel, this year’s crop was the most expensive crop for producers to put in the ground by a country mile, ever,” Wotherspoon said. The NDP’s 5-point plan looks to put money back into farmer’s pockets to help them make it through the fall. Two points in particular would attack the some of the skyrocketing costs of farming. “We’re calling for a temporary 12 cent per litre rebate on diesel. Second, we are calling for a 15 percent rebate on propane natural gas and electricity used for grain drying,” Wotherspoon said. However, the proposed plan is just that: a proposal. Minister of Agriculture David Marit is confident in the structure already in place for farmers to use. “We’re not looking at doing anything different. Weve got a good suite of programs, we’ve got an excellent suite of programs for crop insurance and things like that. We’ve made changes to Ag stability to go to 75 percent if they so wish and then there’s the cash advance side to if farmers need it.” he explained. Certain areas across the province are still in the process of drying out including much of the southern portion of Saskatchewan, but Marit says rainfall hasn’t stopped every producer in their tracks. “In some areas they’re done, some areas they got a significant amount done. It’s obviously up in the northeast and the northern part, but I was in Lloydminster over the weekend and drove home and the combines are rolling,” he said. Summer officially ends on Tuesday evening. Farmers across the province are hoping the rainy days end with it as autumn begins. If more delays spring up, this year’s harvest could be severely impacted.
