By Connor Lynch
GUELPH — Western and Southern Ontario made it through another hard year with $54 million in losses from unplanted, replanted, and damaged crops in 2017.
That’s right on par with 2016 crop insurance claims in Western Ontario. Both years were about double the 2011-15 five-year average of $27 million.
Chatham-Kent County was the worst hit in Western Ontario, racking up a staggering $6.8 million in claims, reported Agricorp, the province’s crop insurance agency. That’s triple its five-year average.
Only three counties — Wellington, Oxford and Brant — received less money than their county’s five-year average. Brant County also saw less monetary damage than any other Western Ontario and Southern Ontario county.
Agricorp paid out $11 million in reseeding claims, $15 million in unseeded acreage claims, and $60 million in production claims, for a total of $86 million paid out to all Ontario producers.
Agricorp bases its crop prices on Chatham and Hensall track prices.
“These price sources are used because they represent the largest production and distribution areas in the province,” Agricorp communications manager Stephanie Charest said. “Because premium costs are based partially on forecasted prices, it’s important that price sources are consistent. Offering different claim prices for different regions would result in different premium rates.”
Insurance costs are split 60-40, with the federal and provincial governments splitting 60 per cent and individual producers covering the remaining 40 per cent.
