Apr. 09/20 Articles Print Page

The Wildlife Damage Compensation Program (WDCP) provides compensation for eligible claims on damaged acres with or without production-based insurance.

In previous years, Wildlife Damage Compensation Program payments were determined based on an in field, estimated, potential yield. For the 2020 crop year, the process to determine eligible WDCP claims has changed:

  • Damaged crops with production-based insurance will use the insurer’s yield from the Harvested Production Report (HPR) or the determined yield;
  • Damaged crops without production-based insurance will use the risk area average yield for the crop.

For 2019, overwintered crops (snowed-under crops) without production-based insurance, which have been left out over the winter, will have an in-field yield estimate conducted by AFSC On Farm Inspectors.

Why was the change made?

Changing the process to determine yield means improved turnaround times for wildlife inspections and removes the uncertainty about how the yield portion of a Wildlife Damage Compensation payment is determined.

  • AFSC On Farm Inspectors will only be required to determine an estimate of the number of acres damaged by wildlife and the percentage of damage.
  • Yields used to calculate WDCP payments will be verifiable based on the harvested or finalized crop yields. If you are a producer without production-based insurance, your risk area average yield will be used.

Ongoing wildlife damage

Producers who experience wildlife damage year-after-year may benefit from taking production insurance on their crops.

  • Electing production insurance (minimum coverage level is 50 per cent) will guarantee that the yields will be used for a Wildlife Damage Compensation Program payment rather than the risk area average yields.
  • Wildlife Damage Compensation Program payments for insurance-covered fields will be available soon after your Harvested Production Report is submitted. If you are a producer with production insurance, you won’t have to wait for the calculation of the risk area average yield.

Contact your branch office for an estimate, and if it’s the right decision for you, sign up for AFSC production insurance before the April 30 deadline. To learn more about AFSC’s annual insurance offerings please see https://afsc.ca/booklet/program-information-for-annual-crops-2020/.