Welcome to the January edition of Agriview+
Minister's MessageI commend our agriculture producers, once again, for their hard work and tireless contributions throughout 2023 to one of Saskatchewan’s most dynamic and important economic sectors. It’s an industry our entire province can take pride in, just as you all do every day.
Our government is proud to continue to support you and the industry in various ways. Our value-added agriculture sector is one of the fastest-growing in Canada, and renewed funding announced in the fall of $5 million over five years through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership for the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre in Saskatoon is a sound investment. This facility has been enabling new ideas and products since 1997, which help to diversify our markets and keep our competitive, export-based economy strong.
Along with the federal government, we also unveiled the 2023 Canada-Saskatchewan Feed Program to provide financial relief for livestock producers facing challenges due to drought. This AgriRecovery response assists with extraordinary costs related to feed and freight incurred after May 1, 2023, through to the application deadline of March 1, 2024. This program is designed to help retain breeding stock, which includes females and males of reproductive age; eligible species include beef cattle and other grazing animals, limited to bison, elk, deer, sheep, goats and horses. A Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) is required to be eligible for the program. Applications can be submitted to the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation; please call 1-844-723-1211 or email for information. We also encourage producers to contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 for advice and information on the many other programs and services we have available to potentially assist you and your operations.
March 1, 2024, is also the deadline for applications for the 2024 Agriculture Student Scholarship Program, which is open to Saskatchewan students in Grade 12 or who are recent high school/GED graduates, and are entering agriculture-related post-secondary studies in fall 2024. Scholarship amounts have increased this year to $6,000 for the top recipient, as well as three runner-up scholarships of $3,000 each. If you’re eligible, have a passion for agriculture and are planning to pursue a career in this exciting industry, I strongly encourage you to visit our Ag Scholarship web page for info.
Please remember that work is important, but your physical mental health is even more so. The Farm Stress Line (1-800-667-4442 toll-free) is a confidential service available 24/7.
Best wishes for a safe, healthy and productive 2024.
David Marit
Minister of Agriculture