2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance Details
After a natural disaster, AgriRecovery helps producers recover extraordinary costs beyond what is offered by other financial assistance programs.
The provincial and federal governments are providing $165 million to support livestock producers affected by drought and extreme growing conditions in Alberta. Applications for the 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance initiative are open now, and you have until January 15, 2024, to file.
To see if you are eligible and for details regarding management changes in 2023 see below.
To be eligible for the initiative, livestock farmers must:
Breeding females on December 31, 2023
Need summer location of animals must be a designated drought area to qualify
Will need premise ID
Dates animals on pasture normally and date when alternations made to grazing
Each pasture location will have to be identified
Must have over 15 head of female breeding stock to qualify
Need to have more than 21 days between June 1, 2023, to October 31, 2023, where your normal grazing practices were altered
Report farm income and expenses in Alberta
For partnerships, one person can claim for the whole partnership
Extraordinary management changes made in 2023 due to drought with receipts available:
Purchases of hay/greenfeed bales;
Purchase of pitted/bagged silage/haylage;
Custom transport of forage/livestock;
Rented additional pasture land between May 1 – October 31;
Purchased standing hay land for baling (self/custom harvested);
Purchased additional hay land for haylage (self/custom harvested);
Purchased additional cereal-cropped land for silage (self/custom harvested);
Modifications to make alternative land more suitable for grazing;
Other: provide a detailed description of change activities if not listed above
Extraordinary management changes made in 2023 due to drought with no receipts available
Self-hauled transport of forage/livestock;
Baled additional forage land of owned land (self/custom harvested);
Baled cereal crops of owned land (self/custom harvested);
Modifications to make alternative land more suitable for grazing;
Usage of on-hand feed as extraordinary measure to extend pasture grazing;
Other: provide a detailed description of change activities if not listed above
Q: What types of expenses could be considered under modifications to alternate land to be grazing suitable?
This could include, but is not limited to:
Fencing
Labour
Water provisions for livestock
Other expenses
There is no paper form yet. If clients have AFSC connect then they can log in to complete the form. Producers who want to file a paper form will have to request one from AFSC to be mailed, emailed, or faxed.
“Alberta’s farmers and ranchers feed the province, country, and world. The past year has been a very difficult one for many livestock producers and that’s why we’re stepping up with these supports. Agriculture is vital to our economy and this AgriRecovery program will ensure our producers continue to thrive and help drive economic prosperity.”