REGINA - 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.
“It's just not good enough. I'm repeating those calls here today as we also advance into a week of meetings and tours on the ground with producers.”
Among his calls was for a drought action committee including the provincial government and the federal government, as well as rural leaders and producers that are on the ground in those drought-devastated regions, and ag organizations.
“They have to be at the table,” Wotherspoon said.
“These solutions aren't found in a premier's office or in Ottawa. They need to be found directly with the producers in the regions that are affected. That's why the provincial and the federal governments need to be forming that committee. And then from that, laying out and building out the measures, both short-term and long-term, that are going to be needed.”
Wotherspoon also called for the province “to fix, strengthen, and build business risk management programs so they're actually working for producers,” again noting the southwest region has seen drought for over nine years.
“These programs aren't working for producers facing a protracted drought like that. We need programs to meet the challenge.”
For the livestock sector, Wotherspoon called for the provincial and federal governments to cost-share the premiums. “It's a matter of fairness and equity for livestock producers, and it's about making sure that livestock producers, cattle producers, have the backstop that they so desperately need and deserve.”
He added they are also calling for a 10-year deferral of taxes on the sale of breeding stock, so that producers are "in a position to be able to build back those herds, build back their operations.”
“Again, these are producers that are really the foundation of our provincial economy and of their communities as well. Our producers are doing everything they can, but they can't do it alone. And they're going to need the provincial government and the federal government to step up. They need a government that's in their corner, that shows up, listens, and leads. These Saskatchewan people deserve nothing less.”
When asked if he has heard back at all from the federal or provincial governments to this point, Wotherspoon responded they “haven't seen significant action on this front.”
“We put out these calls over a month ago after meeting with producers and rural leaders and the stock growers. We've continued to be in conversation with rural leaders and those that are declaring states of emergency and producers on this front. We've been in the field as well. We'll be in the field this week. We've upped those calls week after week here at the legislature and publicly, but it's just well past time for the provincial government to step up on this front, treat it as the emergency that it is, and make sure that these producers, these rural communities, and this region has the support it needs and deserves.”
Sask Today has reached out to the province for comment and will update as soon as we have their response.
