NDP Leader Ryan Meili says there is no long-term economic recovery for Saskatchewan without a thriving agriculture sector. Wednesday, Meili, Agriculture Critic Trent Wotherspoon as well as NDP MLAs Carla Beck and Betty Nippi-Albright toured Saskatchewan ranches and farms devastated by the 2021 drought; they met with ranchers and producers near McCord and Rockglen.

NDP Leader Gets First Hand Look at Devastating Drought

The NDP Leader says farmers in southern Saskatchewan are telling him this is worse than the 1988 drought. One of the farmers has a couple thousand acres and he’s not taking anything off because Meili says there is nothing to harvest with the crops not heading out or if they have they’re empty. He says its basically two bushels an acre and too low to the ground to swathe. Meili says the provincial and federal governments need to work together to develop effective drought assistance programs as soon as possible.

Trent Wotherspoon says, “Many farm and ranch operations are struggling to salvage whatever they can in face of an incredibly bleak situation. They need and deserve support now.”