This is my last column until September, so first of all I want to wish each and every one a great summer.
 
The most pressing issue in the constituency this spring has been the flooding that has prevented the seeding of farm land. I`ve been out looking at waterlogged land, along with federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
 
To help producers deal with the financial impact of this difficult weather, there are three programs.
 
First, there is crop insurance. This is a basic line of defence, and like all insurance programs, requires a premium to be paid. In some years, crop insurance pays out and some years it doesn’t.
 
Second, there is AgriStability. This is a program that pays out farmers if their income drops below a certain average threshold.  This will help producers who are particularly hard hit. But producers who have excellent crops on land that they were able to seed will not benefit, because their income will not have taken the same hit.
 
Finally, there is AgriRecovery. This is a program for natural disasters whose cost is split between the federal and provincial government.  This program is triggered when natural disasters happen, like this spring’s rain.  Since AgriRecovery deals with different natural disasters, the ways this program is implemented does vary.
 
These three programs will provide assistance to farmers affected by flooding.
 
Happy Canada Day. Watch for me this summer.
 
I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133 or drop by our two offices to visit: Saskatoon Monday-Friday or Humboldt Tuesday and Wednesday. I always appreciate your feedback.