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Feb. 28 deadline for farm insurance

Farmers have until Feb. 28 to obtain perennial insurance for their hay and pasture lands.

Farmers have until Feb. 28 to obtain perennial insurance for their hay and pasture lands.

Last year, more than $4.4 million in hay and pasture insurance claims were paid out in Alberta, which John Kresowaty of the Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) said was one of the lowest tallies in more than a decade.

“When the rain finally came in late May and June, we ended up with strong growth on hay and pasture in most regions.”

The highest payout years for hay and pasture insurance were during the droughts of 2009, when $56 million was paid in claims, and in 2002, when $89 million was paid out, said a release from AFSC.

Barry Yaremcio, a provincial beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Ag-Info Centre, said heavy accumulations of snow this winter could provide the moisture needed by forage crops this spring if they melt gradually and are absorbed.

“But if we get a quick melt, most of that moisture will likely run off and collect in the sloughs and creeks with minimal benefit to the dry soil,” he said.

Information about perennial insurance can be obtained at AFSC offices or by contacting the AFSC call centre at 1-877-899-AFSC (2372).

AFSC is the Crown corporation that provides crop insurance to Alberta farmers on behalf of the provincial and federal governments.