Selinger pledges speedy farm aid payments

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger is promising farmers hit by flooding will get insurance payments quickly.

Selinger made the remarks Friday evening after an aerial tour of the province's interlakes region, where many farmers have been hurt by excess moisture in their fields.

An unusually rainy spring and early summer has delayed seeding or washed out plantings altogether.

"Those folks are suffering because it's the third year they've been hit," Selinger said. "They're not being able to generate sufficient revenue off a crop, because the crops aren't growing with all this excess moisture."

Selinger said agriculture officials will put a priority on processing insurance claims.

"We are going to expedite our excess moisture payments," Selinger said. "The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, which manages all of our insurance payments, will expedite the payments for those folks as a priority matter and try to get money moving as quickly as possible in July."

Selinger's pledge came just ahead of another weekend with rain in the forecast.

A flood watch was put into effect Friday night for Manitoba, south of a line between Duck Mountain in the west and Bissett in the east.

Environment Canada forecast a possible 25 to 50 millimetres of rain.

Localized thunderstorms could also produce downpours.

Officials noted that rain falling on already saturated ground could lead to heavy run-off and flash-flooding.

A more serious flood warning for the Assiniboine River area was also still in effect. That affects areas from Shellmouth to Brandon.