APAS is encouraged by the removal of the AgriStability Reference Margin Limit (RML), but is disappointed the program’s compensation rate was not increased.
“It’s good news that the provincial and federal Ministers of Agriculture agreed on the removal of the Reference Margin Limit yesterday,” said APAS President Todd Lewis, “but farmers’ costs and business risks have both increased significantly since the program was cut in 2013, so we still need improvements to the compensation rate.”
“Increasing AgriStability support for farmers is an investment in Canada’s economic recovery, because producers need better protection against risks outside their control, like weather and trade disputes,” Lewis explained. “Farming will always be an unpredictable business, but enhanced BRM coverage will reduce that risk.”
APAS will continue advocating for improvements to the AgriStability compensation rate alongside the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), its provincial and territorial counterparts, and other agricultural groups across the country.
