Hay transport - (ID 208959542 © Treentya Dreamstime.com)

By Alice McFarlane

HAY WEST 2021 INITIATIVE

Hay West 2021 Initiative receives federal funding

Dec 17, 2021 | 4:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — Farmers are helping their fellow producers by sending much needed feed for livestock.

The drought across Western Canada and in northern Ontario, as well as the flooding and landslides in British Columbia, have created feed shortages.

Despite these challenges, many have stepped up in solidarity to help their fellow farmers and ranchers from across the country.

The Hay West 2021 Initiative has already seen millions of pounds of feed transported to areas in need.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said an additional $3 million will be provided to help to offset the freight costs to transport hay.

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In September, the government approved $1 million, which went towards the transport of roughly 150 shipments or 5.6 million pounds of hay to feed 16,750 cattle.

Lisa Haynes is a cattle farmer from Biggar, Sask. who was a victim of this year’s drought. She said their operation was faced with very serious decisions because of the lack of affordable, good quality feed for animals.

“We were looking at dispersing some of our herd and trying to find anything that we could to get through the winter,” Haynes said. “Luckily, that’s where the Hay West program came in. We heard about the program, we did the online application, which was super easy. The next thing you know, we got a phone call.”

Haynes said they were able to get a few loads of hay from Eastern Canada.

“Without the opportunity to be able to get some affordable feed for animals, I don’t know if our operation would have been moving forward this winter,” she said.

Haynes is grateful to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) who organized the program. She also appreciated all the farmers who were willing to part with some of their feed. She said there is a lot more feed available. It’s finding a way to get it to areas that need it.

Roger Parkinson farms in western New Brunswick. Last summer growing conditions were perfect and he had some of the best yields he has seen in years.

“Farmers in Atlantic Canada had a lot of extra bales, so with the program, we can help the farmers that are out in the west that had very dry conditions,” Parkinson said.

Last year, the situation was reversed. Parkinson and neighboring farmers were short of feed for their animals.

“We sourced feed from other parts of the country and brought it here. Overall, it is very nice to be able to work with other farmers no matter what part of the country we live in,” he said.

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) general manager Chad MacPherson said the additional funds to cover transportation costs is welcome news for the producers that are able to receive the feed.

“It certainly does provide some support at a time when producers are looking around for feed this time of year. Any additional feed that we can bring into the prairies is welcome,” MacPherson said. “Anything that we can bring in from other locations, whether that’s corn from the United States or hay from Eastern Canada, that all helps producers to put together rations for the winter.”

MacPherson said it all goes a long way to help producers keep their animals through the winter.