Harvest may be 99% complete in the Southwest but for some farmers, this year's crop was a complete disaster.

This past Monday, the Southwest Drought Disaster Committee held a meeting in Ponteix with representatives from 15 different RM's. David Marit, president of  SARM, was there along with other SARM reps.

Since August, the committee has been struggling to be recognized as a legitimate disaster zone like the flood stricken Northeast Saskatchewan area that received federal and provincial funding.

Allan Oliver is the reeve of the RM of Auvergne No. 76.  He says unlike farmers in the Northeast, the Southwest gopher and drought-ridden crop had plenty of imput costs.

Oliver says the drought affected 9000 square miles in Southwest. He says the committee is waiting for a response from MP, David Anderson and Sask Ag Minister, Mark Wartman.


The Southwest Drought Disaster Committee wants $25 per acre ($10 from province and $15 from the federal government). Oliver says this was the arrangement for flood-stricken Northeast Saskatchewan.