Saskatchewan farmers whose operations took damage from storms in April, but whose gross revenues overtopped the maximum for disaster assistance, will now be able to get in on that program.
The province on June 16 announced “supplemental relief” via the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program to help farmers who didn’t qualify under PDAP’s usual eligibility rules.
Usually small businesses, including farm operations, must book gross annual income of more than $4,000 and less than $2 million, and employ no more than 20 people full time, to be eligible for PDAP coverage, which compensates applicants for damages up to a maximum of $500,000.
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PDAP is meant to help cover the cost of uninsurable essential losses, cleanup, repairs and temporary relocation. For farms, eligible damages can include items such as fencing, bales and field erosion.
However, the province said June 16, “in Saskatchewan it is reasonable for a family run farming operation to exceed this threshold in gross annual revenues, but not have the capacity to recover without government assistance.”
The new supplemental program, combined with existing PDAP services, is expected to help producers in eligible areas that saw “substantial losses or damages to uninsurable property.”
The province emphasized the programs are “not intended to compete with private insurers or to provide full compensation to those who incur a substantial loss or damage to property.”
Municipalities or other local authorities where farmers or other businesses were affected first must request designation through the PDAP office to initiate assistance for residents. Once a municipality is PDAP-designated, residents then have six months to apply.
Anyone who’s applied to the PDAP program as a result of the spring storms will automatically be considered for the supplement and won’t require a separate application, the province said.
Municipalities declared eligible so far following April’s storms include the RMs of Antler, Argyle, Arlington, Benson, Brock, Brokenshell, Browning, Cambria, Cana, Chester, Coalfields, Cymri, Elcapo, Enniskillen, Estevan, Garry, Golden West, Grayson, Happy Valley, Hart Butte, Hazelwood, Key West, Kingsley, Lake Alma, Lomond, Martin, Maryfield, Montmartre, Moose Creek, Moose Mountain, Moosomin, Mount Pleasant, Norton, Piapot, Poplar Valley, Reciprocity, Rocanville, Silverwood, St. Louis, Storthoaks, Surprise Valley, Terrell, The Gap, Walpole, Wawken, Wellington, Weyburn, White Valley, Willowdale and Wolseley and the town of Maple Creek.
The town of Springside was declared eligible following a freezing rainstorm in May, as were Manitou Beach and Watrous following a rainstorm and overland flooding earlier this month. — Glacier FarmMedia Network
