Welcome to the July edition of Agriview+
Minister's Message
Now that the 2023 crop is in the ground and the growing season is progressing, it’s a good time to reflect on some of the many other important aspects of Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry.
Something I particularly look forward to each year is announcing the annual recipients of the Agriculture Student Scholarship. In May I was honoured to present Melfort’s Caitlyn Spratt with the 2023 grand prize of $4,000 toward her post-secondary studies, while the runners-up – Danielle Dyok from Saskatoon, Katherine Andree from Val Marie and Emery Cholin from Kerrobert – were each awarded $2,000. You can read more in this issue about these passionate, dedicated young ag leaders and their future career plans.
The early summer months are also an opportunity to showcase our industry at major events like Canada’s Farm Show in Regina in June and Ag In Motion in Langham in July which display, among other things, the cutting edge agricultural equipment and technology which originates right here in Saskatchewan.
We’ve set some impressive records lately as a province in terms of our exports, and our agricultural manufacturers have been contributing to this success with some phenomenal growth and success of their own. Their shipments have increased in value by 135 per cent over the past five years, from a total of $359 million in 2018 to $843 million in 2023. That’s a remarkable trend by any measure. These implements are used for a wide range of agricultural purposes, designed with producer input – sometimes designed by people who are producers themselves. The businesses building this equipment in communities across the province are also building our growing worldwide reputation for providing solutions in the field from Australia to Kazakhstan. This is a highly innovative and competitive sector of our economy and, in many ways, is closely linked to the performance of our agriculture industry, since we not only export this equipment globally but use it ourselves on farms across Saskatchewan.
Recognizing the importance of providing targeted and timely support for producers who need it, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) recently reassessed and finalized the 2022-23 Wildlife Compensation values for forage products. This includes a freight adjustment payment to compensate producers for the additional cost of transporting feed, reflecting higher than normal replacement feed costs in specific parts of the province. This is another example of why we continually listen and respond to the concerns of producers, particularly in the southwest which has seen multiple years of dry conditions and an increase in wildlife damage to forage.
As always, I encourage you all to keep safety top of mind, not just as the busy summer continues but all year long, on and off the farm. We all have loved ones who are expecting us back home at the end of the day. Be safe out there!
David Marit
Minister of Agriculture