Business Risk Management Programs
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) continues to deliver a complete and effective range of business risk management (BRM) programs.
These programs help farmers manage income declines caused by production losses, low prices, and increased input costs. Each program provides protection for different types of losses in different ways.
They respond to producer demands for risk management programs that are simple, responsive, predictable and bankable.
In Manitoba, the federal and provincial governments provide these programs under CAP:
AgriRecovery is a disaster relief framework that provides a coordinated process for federal, provincial and territorial governments to respond rapidly to disasters affecting producers. It is designed to help producers with extraordinary costs incurred to resume operations after a disaster.
Under the AgriRecovery framework, the following two programs have been developed in consultation with industry to meet the needs of Manitoba livestock producers.
Eligible producers may now apply to the programs listed below:
- Herd Management Drought Assistance: Assistance to offset the cost of replacing breeding animals, when culling is above normal because of winter feed shortages.
- Livestock Feed and Transportation Drought Assistance: Assistance to purchase and test feed for eligible livestock and assistance to transport purchased feed from distant locations.
- Livestock Transportation Drought Assistance: Assistance to offset freight expenses associated with moving livestock to alternate feed supply areas.
AgriInvest is a self-managed producer savings account that helps cover small margin declines. It provides coverage for small income declines and allows for investments that help mitigate risks or improve market income.
AgriStability provides support when a producer experiences large decline in the farm's operating margin. A payment is triggered when the margin (allowable revenue less allowable expenses) falls below 70% of the producer's historical reference margin.
AgriInsurance provides insurance products for production losses caused by natural perils (weather, pests, or disease) for most crops grown in Manitoba, including cereals, oilseeds, special crops and forages.
Livestock Price Insurance offers livestock producers protection against unexpected market price declines.
The collaboration of government and industry will look to expand and identify new opportunities for insurance products in CAP. Governments will also assist the industry in its efforts to research, develop and implement new agricultural risk management tools.
Changes in effect for the 2018 program year
AgriStability
- The reference margin limit (RML) will change so that all producers have at least 70% of their original reference margin, to ensure producers from all sectors have improved access to support, regardless of their cost-structure.
- A $250 minimum payment will apply.
- Provincial and territorial governments can trigger a late participation mechanism to allow producers to enter the program late, in situations where there is a significant income decline and a gap in participation. This will only be triggered in response to significant events and benefits will be reduced by 20% for producers who enrol late.
AgriInvest
- The maximum allowable net sales (ANS) eligible will be reduced to $1 million, down from $1.5 million. As a result, the maximum government matching contribution will be $10,000, down from $15,000.
- The minimum government contribution will increase from $75 to $250. As a result, the minimum ANS will increase from $7,500 to $25,000.
