Crop insurance seeding deadline extended

With much of the province affected by excessive moisture, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is working to help its customers by extending seeding deadlines.

"Agricultural programs must work at the farm gate and when the current rain pushed seeding beyond application deadlines the deadlines had to change," said federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "Farmers constantly adapt to the realities of weather and we are proud to work with the provincial government to make sure crop insurance deadlines fit what farmers need."

"We recognize that seeding is well behind average across the province with excess moisture preventing producers from getting into the fields," Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud said. "While I hope this extension will help producers get their seed in the ground and still be insured, we all realize the best solution to this situation would be some warm, dry weather."

For areas with longer growing seasons, including the west-central, Moose Jaw and Estevan areas, Crop Insurance customers will now be able to seed and insure all crops, except chickpeas, by June 20. In the rest of the province, Crop Insurance customers will now have full yield-loss coverage on lentils, durum, flax, hard red spring wheat and canola seeded by June 15, and barley, oats, mustard, peas and polish canola seeded by June 20.

If Crop Insurance customers are still unable to seed by the new deadlines, they can access the Unseeded Acreage benefit as of June 20. The benefit provides $50 per eligible claim acre to Crop Insurance customers on land that is too wet to seed.

Customers are also reminded to submit their Seeded Acreage Reports (SAR) and Stored Grain Declarations to SCIC by June 25.

Crop Insurance is jointly funded by the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan.

Edited by Tapa Menon