Manitoba Pork Council reports producer interest in a proposed AgriStability top-up program continues to build.
AgriStability Plus was developed as a voluntary insurance-based companion to AgriStability which would be underwritten by the federal government with participating producers being responsible for premiums.
Manitoba Pork Council director Bryan Ferriss says the top-up program is intended to take the variability out of AgriStability, to be bankable and predictable and provide a full cost of production.
In presenting it to cattle producers, to hog producers, grains and oilseeds producers and their various organizations whether it be Keystone Agricultural Producers or Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, we have presented it to the Canadian Pork Council, we have presented it to the Federation of Independent Business, we have talked to producers as from the Maritimes literally all the way to B.C.
Our main focus obviously has been Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Currently we are now just starting to talk with cattle producers in Alberta and I can honestly tell you the level of interest has been very keen.
We’ve had a lot of producers who have expressed support for the concept once they understand it.
Once we’ve had the opportunity to sit down with them or a group of them or their organization and explain to them exactly how it works the reception has been very good.
Actually to be perfectly honest with you it’s been much stronger than what we had anticipated initially.
Has there been some reservation?
Of course there’s been some reservation and to a large degree I have to honestly say that most if not all of that reservation is removed once they understand the concept of the program and in fact it is not supply management, in fact it does not guarantee you a profit and in fact it is trade green goes a long way to alleviate those concerns.
Ferriss notes calculations are being worked out now to determine producer premiums and he expects to have those numbers by the end of June.
Source: Farmscape.Ca
