Insurance claims from growers have surged since the start of this rainy season.
With the abundant rains of the last few weeks, many agricultural producers have lost part of their crops. They are asking for emergency aid to deal with this catastrophic season as well as a review of insurance programs that are no longer suitable for today’s situation.
According to the Union des producteurs agricole du Québec (UPA), all regions are affected, including several that have received record amounts of rain. In addition to other extreme weather episodes.
La Financière agricole, the Quebec producers’ insurance company, reveals that it has received 2,466 “damage notices” since the start of the season, i.e. claims from farmers whose crops are affected. The average of the previous 5 seasons is 2060 reviews, or 1795 reviews if the average is calculated for the last decade, on comparable dates.
Some producers, strawberries in particular, have completely lost their season. Too much water also makes access to the field impossible and humidity promotes rot. The challenges are many.
Farmers are asking for urgent intervention from Quebec, in various forms.
The director general of the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec, Patrice Léger Bourgoin, also points out that several crops are not covered by insurance, such as garlic or fine herbs.
A peculiarity also tickles many growers: insurance imposes periods when they must plant. However, with the climatic episodes that we are now experiencing, these deadlines no longer hold, they say. Producers could therefore decide not to take the risk and not to plant.
Result: there would be fewer Quebec vegetables on the market.
“The programs were created 30 years ago, with the climatic conditions of 30 years ago,” said Patrice Léger Bourgoin, met at Place des producteurs at the end of July. Already, the alarm bells were ringing. Another request from producers: to have Quebec scientific data on which to rely rather than to draw inspiration from foreign work.
Climate change was also mentioned at the press conference on Friday morning. “The Government of Quebec must now formulate a clear intention to deepen the needs that are emerging in the sector due to climate change. The modernization of programs, which has been called for for several years, simply cannot wait any longer,” said the president of the Producers of Processing Vegetables, Pascal Forest.
In addition to this organization, market gardeners and the UPA, the joint press conference brought together the Association of Strawberry and Raspberry Producers of Quebec and the Potato Producers of Quebec.
La Financière agricole says it is keeping an eye on the situation and has created a monitoring unit that will monitor it. She also claims to support farmers in their dealings with their financial institutions, but Quebec has not announced any additional financial assistance for the moment.
At the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ), they say they are very concerned about the situation. In an email sent to La Presse on Friday, the MAPAQ invites producers to continue to file complaints with the Financière agricole.