Many producers are welcoming new enhancements to this year’s Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Program, especially those in the livestock sector.

Rick Toney, Chairman of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, says they are pleased that pastureland will now be covered for fire damage, adding this is something they have been asking for even before last year’s wildfires.

"Grain crops producers, there covered for fire, and we want to be covered as well," he said. "The SCA has put money towards a study to be done on how long it takes to establish these grasses. It's very big for producers to know and to be out this grass. It's a big economic loss for them, and now to be able to cover this is a really big thing so there not left out in the cold."

Toney adds there will also now be covered for flooded out forage acres, another item that was not covered for pastureland but was for cropland.

New fire coverage for pasture acres was one of the big new enhancements to Saskatchewan’s Crop Insurance Program that were announced this week.

Toney says this is something they have wanted for some time previously only cropland acres were covered by fire damage, and he said livestock producers who lose their pastures to fire face a big economic loss.

He adds another item that was only available for cropland but now available for pastureland is coverage for flooded forage acres.

"We've been talking to the government for a number of years, when we had some big floods and of course their again crop producers are covered, and grass producers arent and we've said that this isn't right, and thanks to minister Stewart and his staff they've listened and they've come through."

Toney adds they are also pleased with the earlier announcement that the P-S-T will once again be exempt from agricultural insurance premiums, adding that will help Saskatchewan producers stay competitive with other provinces.