2010 is the 3rd year in a row farmers near Arborg, Man., have been flooded. (CBC)

Manitoba's Agriculture Minister was to meet with the Manitoba Cattle Producers Tuesday to discuss compensation for cattle owners who have been unable to obtain feed due to high water.

Heavy rains and flooded fields have left prairie farmers unable to grow sufficient hay to feed their animals. For many who did get a crop in the ground, their efforts have been washed away. It's ironic, because earlier in the spring many Western Canadian farmers and ranchers, particularly those in Alberta and Saskatchewan, were worried about drought.

Not any more. Struthers said all three prairie provinces have been inundated with rainfall and flooding this year, and the three provincial governments along with Ottawa are trying to come up with a proposal to help as many producers as possible.

Struthers said producers might benefit by an extension of the seeding deadline for crop insurance, or a package of incentives to encourage farmers to plant green feed for cattle.

"We're probably looking at somewhere between 15 and 20 per cent [of crop land] that didn't get seeded or has been seeded and has been sitting in water now for an extended period of time," he said. "Saskatchewan has some huge numbers," he added.

Struthers said the three provincial agriculture ministers are trying to come up with proposals that could help both grain and cattle producers. "What we want to do between Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba is get a united front together and speak with Federal Minister Jerry Ritz who I must say has been very open to the ideas that we've come up with. Ideas such as deferral of cash advances and cover crops."