The Government of Alberta and Canada are expanding drought livestock assistance eligibility to help producers maintain breeding herds
The 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance initiative is expanding its eligibility to 23 new regions and extending the application deadline. Livestock producers in eligible regions that had to alter their usual grazing practices due to drought conditions for more than 21 days in the 2023 season can apply for financial support to cover losses incurred to manage and maintain female breeding animals. A minimum of 15 animals per type of livestock are required to qualify.
Applications for the newly added regions will open on January 29, 2024 and close on February 22, 2024. Applicants in this intake may receive up to $150 per head. This expansion also gives producers who were already eligible another opportunity to apply.
This initiative is being administered by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). Applications can be made by creating or logging into your AFSC Connect account. Additional questions can be directed to AFSC Connect, the AFSC Client Services Centre at 1-877-899-2372, or by contacting your local branch office.
The RMA has continued to urge the provincial and federal governments to reexamine the eligibility criteria for the Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance Program to better prioritize access to funding for those that need it most. This includes recent meetings with representatives from both Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. The expansion of the Livestock Drought Recovery Support shows RMA advocacy in action.
Kallie Wischoff
Policy Advisor
855.319.2245
kallie@RMAlberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com