Provincial Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow and his federal counterpart, Marie-Claude Bibeau talked with local farmers Wednesday to hear how Fiona impacted operations, families and livelihoods.
The two ministers visited livestock and fruit and vegetable farms and a maple syrup producer in
Guysborough-Tracadie MLA and Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow (Communications Nova Scotia photo)
Pictou and Antigonish Counties. They saw firsthand the widespread damage caused by the storm to the agricultural sector, as well as the affect of extended power outages on a number of farming operations.
Morrow and Bibeau also had a townhall with the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, where they heard from local farmers about the devastation many experienced.
There are business risk management programs available to help farmers manage risks that threaten the viability of their farms and offer protection against different types of income and production losses.
Producers are encouraged to apply for interim payments under AgriStability to help them cope with immediate financial challenges. The two levels of government have agreed to increase to the 2022 AgriStability interim payment percentage from 50 to 75 per cent so producers can access a greater portion of their beneift early to meet their urgent needs.