Welcome to the April edition of Agriview+
Minister's Message
While spring seeding activity is underway in Saskatchewan, it’s important to note our government’s ongoing work to address the challenges of another potential season of dry conditions or reduced moisture in regions of the province.
Something to keep in mind is that Saskatchewan has the advantage of a remarkably strong agriculture sector which already relies on a solid foundation of proven, well-established best practices. This has resulted in four consecutive years of record agri-food exports culminating in $20.2 billion for 2023, in spite of the various challenges the industry has faced during that period.
This record is a testament to the remarkable resilience, expertise and flexibility of the farmers and ranchers who make the industry the strong backbone of Saskatchewan’s economy. It’s something we can be proud of, and our government strives to support you and your operations. This includes long-term strategic investments like our announcement in March of $15 million over the next five years for the Global Institute for Food Security in Saskatoon, which is dedicated to further enhancing our capacity to produce some of the most carbon-friendly, sustainable food in the world through its leadership in research and innovation.
As you may be aware, the Ministry of Agriculture has a Drought Preparedness Plan available on our website which provides a detailed outline of our toolbox of ongoing policies and approaches to help mitigate the effects of changing moisture conditions. Our current emphasis has been on monitoring, although various actions described in the plan are being implemented to provide support to producers where most needed. These include the freezing of 2024 grazing rates on Crown land at 2022 rates and the adjustment of lease fees if producers need to reduce stocking rates due to drought in 2024. There have also been updates to the federally designated regions for the 2023 Livestock Tax Deferral to further assist affected producers.
We continue to offer information and services related to managing dry conditions—such as eligibility of wells or shallow-buried pipelines under the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program—through our extension specialists in 10 regional offices around the province, as well as the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377. If you’re seeking agronomic advice, program information or pathfinding services on topics such as water quality testing for livestock, pasture health, and how cereals, oilseeds or pulse crops react in challenging growing conditions, please reach out. I also encourage producers to investigate existing business risk management programs such as crop and forage insurance and the AgriStability program.
To stay up to date on upcoming workshops and available resources, please follow our social channels on X (formerly Twitter) and on Facebook, and regularly check for updated news and information on our website.
David Marit
Minister of Agriculture