AFSC Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

Alberta’s AFSC to refund hail premiums on drowned crops

Agency taking applications until Sept. 11

Grain growers in Alberta’s Peace, northeastern and northwestern farming regions whose waterlogged crops are deemed “non-viable” can now file for full refunds on AFSC hail insurance premiums. AFSC, the province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, announced Wednesday it will accept such applications from eligible growers from now until Sept. 11. Applications will be available online through […] Read more

Shutdowns and slowdowns at packing plants caused by COVID-19 have created a backlog of 130,000 cattle that must be fed until they can be processed.

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Packing plants back on track, but future uncertain

With a huge backlog of animals to work through, cattle groups are fearful of what comes next

By Alexis Kienlen July 1, 2020

Alberta’s beef-packing plants are working at or near full capacity but the crisis is not over yet, say cattle leaders. “Our processing capacity has continued to increase over the past few weeks and cattle prices have been relatively strong, but markets are still vulnerable to a disruption in the processing plants,” Alberta Beef Producers chair […] Read more

Cow-Calf, Livestock, Markets

WLPIP calf price insurance deadline extended

Three-week extension includes nine purchasing days

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 15, 2020

Cattle producers in the western provinces will get extra decision-making time this year on the calf price insurance available through Western Livestock Price Insurance (WLPIP). The Prairies’ Crown ag insurance corporations announced Thursday that the deadline to buy WLPIP calf price insurance for 2020 has been extended to June 18. The new deadline, reset from […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Forages, Pasture, Weather

Loans pledged for wildfire-damaged Alberta farms

By Alberta Farmer Staff December 24, 2017

Ranchers and farmers in two southeastern Alberta municipalities hit by wildfire in mid-October may soon be able to apply for interest-free rebuilding loans. The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) on Wednesday announced loan applications will be available Jan. 8 for eligible producers in Cypress County and the MD of Acadia. Applications under the Hilda […] Read more

Crops, News

Crop insurer says it is ‘streamlining’ inspection process

AFSC is also asking producers to gather information to speed up the assessment of unharvested acres 

By Alberta Farmer Staff May 5, 2017

Here’s what AFSC says it has done to “streamline inspection processes in order to expedite assessments”: The number of required field counts has been reduced when appraising wildlife damage and potential production on the unharvested acres, relying on the inspector’s judgment to do more counts when required. Allow visual appraisals on crops where, in the […] Read more

Jennifer Wood, new chair of the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation board, is introduced at a press conference by Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier.

News

New board put in charge of province’s scandal-plagued crop insurer

Many well-known faces in the ag community are on the new board of the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation

By Alexis Kienlen May 4, 2017

Ten months after dismissing the board of directors of the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation, Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier has finally named its replacements. And the board’s first action will be to find a new chief executive officer to replace one who was suspended with pay last June after the provincial auditor found a host of […] Read more

Crops, Weather

Alberta recruits new board for AFSC

By Alberta Farmer Staff April 27, 2017

Alberta’s provincial government has named a new board of directors to its farm financing and crop insurance agency, to replace the board it fired last year. Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier on Thursday announced the appointment of a new eight-member board for the provincial Agriculture Financial Services Corp., (AFSC), which has been handled by an interim […] Read more

Crops, Weather

Alberta pledges ‘streamlined’ crop insurance inspections

By Alberta Farmer Staff April 27, 2017

Alberta’s provincial crop insurance agency will “streamline” its inspection procedures to better deal with unharvested acres from last fall, the government said Wednesday. The announcement from provincial Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier follows a conference call with officials from Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) and from the province’s wheat, barley, canola and pulse grower commissions. “Balancing […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock

No TB quarantines lifted over holidays

By Alberta Farmer Staff January 6, 2017

None of the 50 ranch properties still under federal quarantine for bovine tuberculosis in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan have been released in the past two weeks, officials reported Thursday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday resumed regular updates on its ongoing investigation into cases of bovine TB in the area. As of Thursday, […] Read more

Crops, News, Weather

Help for some producers with unharvested acres

By Alberta Farmer Staff November 8, 2016

Farm Credit Canada is offering “flexibility to all customers” who have been hit hard by excessive moisture and delayed harvesting. “This year’s wet weather in parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba has certainly been challenging for many farmers whose crops have been affected by excessive moisture,” FCC president and CEO Michael Hoffort said in a […] Read more

Trump issues permit for Alaska-to-Alberta railway

U.S. livestock: Cattle up on beef demand, cash market optimism

U.S. grains: Corn, soy ease as harvest advances

GFM Network News