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To help them weather the trade storm, Moe’s government proposed changes to the federal Advance Payments Program, which grants cash advances to farmers. Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit pitched a plan to increase the ceiling on payments to $1 million, interest-free.

The federal government has not yet committed to doing so.

“Saskatchewan is becoming increasingly concerned that your government has offered no concrete support for Canada’s canola producers,” Moe wrote. “As such, I am repeating our request that the changes to the Advance Payments Program be made immediately.”

The timeline is pressing for farmers. They need income as they prepare for seeding in the coming weeks, but worry about selling last year’s crop at depressed prices to pay for inputs.

Moe told the Leader-Post that if the federal government doesn’t commit in the coming days, “the decision is no, by default.” He said the cash advance changes wouldn’t be a solution to the crisis, though they would help ease the pain.

“I call it an Advil pill, if you will, and it just would alleviate the symptoms while we get our crop in the ground here this spring,” he said in an interview. He said he’s received no explanation for why Ottawa won’t commit to the idea.

“It’s troubling, to say the least, that here we are over three weeks later and the federal government has chosen not to move forward with what would be a fairly simple initiative that would provide this much-needed access to capital.”

Trudeau was in Saskatoon Tuesday for “private meetings”, according to his itinerary.The premier said he never received word of Trudeau’s visit, and called it “disappointing.”

“That was news to us, like it was to so many, that he’s visiting Saskatoon. I’m not aware of his schedule,” said Moe. “We weren’t offered the opportunity to sit down and discuss something of utmost importance to our economy.”

In response, the Prime Minister’s Office pointed out that Moe and Trudeau have already discussed canola — mentioning the meeting last month — and stressed that the federal government is “always willing to engage with Premiers from across the country on a variety of issues.”

The office of the federal minister of agriculture said the ministry is “listening to requests from our farmers, producers and provincial governments” and “looking for the best ways to support the sector.”

The statement specifically mentioned the Advance Payment Program, saying the ministry is “looking at options to ensure these programs meet the needs for our farmers.

“We are going to ensure they have the security they need.”