The window for farmers in Manitoba seeding winter wheat or fall rye with crop insurance coverage has been extended by 15 days.
Until this year, winter cereals had to be seeded between August 20 and September 15 to be eligible for full coverage from the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), with 80 per cent coverage extending until September 20.
Starting this fall, producers can get full coverage if winter wheat or fall rye are seeded between August 15 and September 25, with reduced coverage if seeded by September 30.
“We would like to thank MASC and the Province of Manitoba for listening and working with the winter wheat industry,” says Manitoba Crop Alliance secretary Doug Martin, in a statement released on Tuesday.
Martin was previously the chair of Winter Cereals Manitoba, which merged with several other commodity organizations to form the crop alliance as of August 1, 2020.
“Before Manitoba Crop Alliance’s formation, Winter Cereals Manitoba had been working with MASC and provincial agriculture staff on this file. We are happy with the changes and believe they will benefit farmers,” he says.
The revised deadlines, which take effect for winter cereals seeded in 2020 and harvested in 2021, were approved by MASC’s board of directors and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada last month. Next year’s AgriInsurance Contract will be amended to reflect the updated deadlines.