Drought Response Actions

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Drought response actions | Stress Management
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The Agriculture Drought Risk Management Plan provides strategies that can be used to take appropriate action during and immediately following a drought to reduce drought impacts on agricultural operations.
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Drought Response involves taking appropriate action during and immediately following a drought to reduce drought impacts on producers.
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Possible actions to respond to drought – the Response Toolbox – can be identified to meet local needs, from mitigation during the early stages of drought to financial stabilization during and following more severe drought conditions. Partners from the Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMD&C) works with representatives from drought-affected municipalities to identify support options for recommendation to Ministers.

Action	Agent
Goal: Producers are aware of government response.
The partner agencies provide information on approved drought programs and government policy to affected producers.	Partner agencies
Municipalities have the responsibility to manage community water supplies and may decide to implement water rationing to extend the duration of available supply.	Municipalities
Goal: Provide information on business risk management programs.
Federal and provincial business risk management programs are available through Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC); including AgriInsurance, AgriStability, and AgriRecovery. Programs are managed to respond to exceptional conditions in a timely manner.	Partner agencies AFSC
Goal: Provide information to affected farmers on financial and personal counseling.
A list of phone numbers for farm crisis lines and financial and debt counseling agencies is available through Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) and Alberta Health, and AAFC.	Partner Agencies
Goal: Provide access to information on available feed supplies.
Livestock owners may access the hay listing for available feed.	ARD
Goal: Continue to offer the ARD Water Pumping Program.
Water Pumping Program is available to producers for replenishing dugout levels.	ARD
Goal: Recommend tax deferral from sale of breeding stock.
ARD and AAFC monitor hay and pasture yields, and soil moisture and precipitation in drought-affected areas and, if required, partners will recommend areas to be designated for tax deferral to AAFC.	Partner Agencies
Goal: Implement a drought disaster loan program.
During Extreme Conditions, the partners works with municipal representatives to determine if a government drought loan program should be recommended for the affected area. This program would loan money to eligible farmers at a reduced interest rate to help them recover after a drought.	Partner Agencies
Goal: Implement other programs as appropriate.
The drought management partners will assess and explore a variety of response options and recommend possible responses to the appropriate Ministers. Options in response to drought in the past have included: - initial assessment for tax deferral on breeding livestock - drought disaster loans - grazing on unallocated public land - grazing/haying Ducks Unlimited acreage - municipal roadside grazing/haying - feed/livestock freight assistance - emergency water hauling - reduced rates for dugout water pumping - grasshopper control options - direct acreage payments	Partner Agencies

Stress Management

Stress is a normal reaction to anything that threatens our safety and well-being. If you or a member of your family need assistance managing stress, help may be only a phone call away.

Alberta Mental Health Help Line 1-877-303-2642
This toll-free help line provides confidential advice and information on mental health services 24 hours a day.

Community Mental Health Clinics
These clinics provide voluntary clinical community-based mental health services to individuals of all ages who reside in the province of Alberta. Treatment services from the various programs are provided free of charge. For more information call the community mental health clinic in your area or call the confidential help line at 1-877-303-2642.

Recognizing when and how stress is affecting you and others is an important first step to managing it. This document answers some frequently asked questions about recognizing and handling stress in rural Alberta.

The following articles point out some symptons to watch for and provide suggestions on what you can do to help yourself and others.

Resiliency in Rural People (615 KB PDF)
Managing Stress (555 KB PDF)
Preventing Suicide (613 KB PDF)

Drought Response Actions

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