The Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA) is pleased to hear Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will expand the crop insurance coverage area for soybeans to cover almost all of Southern Manitoba, the Interlake, and areas along the West side of Lake Manitoba. MASC will implement a Soybean Insurance Area 3 that will encompass the aforementioned areas.
The MPGA, its members, and Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) have worked together to expand soybean crop insurance coverage to several areas of the province. Those areas included the RM of Reynolds where a group of farmers had approached MPGA with a request to expand coverage to the area. MPGA and MAFRI were also involved with the collection of data to support the expansion of crop insurance into the Interlake, specifically the Arborg area. With the assistance of growers, industry, and the expertise and hard work of MAFRI, a science-based case was built to support an expansion into both regions.
MPGA and its partners have not worked on the expansion to Southwestern Manitoba but are supportive of the decision by MASC to include areas south of Riding Mountain National Park. The proactive move taken by MASC will avoid a piecemeal approach to future expansions. MPGA is confident, with the availability of new short season soybean varieties, that Southwestern Manitoba farmers will be able to grow a successful crop.
MPGA Soybean Committee Chair, Andrew Saramaga says, “We are very happy to hear the expansion has commenced. MPGA and its partners have worked for a number of years to expand soybean crop insurance coverage, and it’s great to see that the hard work has paid off.” Saramaga continues, “MPGA would like to thank its industry partners and MAFRI for their assistance to collect the data necessary to provide a new cropping opportunity for growers outside the traditional soybean production zone.”
Along with the expansion of the soybean crop insurance coverage, the dry edible bean crop insurance coverage has also been expanded to ensure that the covered areas for both soybeans and edible beans are now the same.
MPGA encourages growers who are interested in soybean crops in 2009 to check with their local MASC office to find out if they are now included in Soybean Insurance Area 3.
