By Alice McFarlane

Farm groups ready to get back to work with Moe government

Oct 26, 2020 | 10:35 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – A group that represents livestock producers said there is a lot of unfinished business to take care of with the re-elected Saskatchewan Party.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen Association CEO Ryder Lee said their goal is to improve the competitiveness of cattle producers. Lee said there are a lot of items that are still ‘in progress.’

“It’s legislation, regulation, and programming. We keep an eye on all of it across the different ministries to try and make sure that it’s helpful for producers,” Lee told farmnewsNOW. “There are a lot of things we want them to finish.”

Changes made to trespass laws are not yet in affect, irrigation announcements, and the conversation on business risk management programs still need attention, according to Lee.

He said the first six to 12 months of a new mandate is usually the most interesting. Lee said the SCA has enjoyed a good working relationship with Agriculture Minister David Marit, previous minister Lyle Stewart and the government in general.

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Lee said the previous government sees agriculture as valuable which was demonstrated in the COVID-19 response to price insurance premiums.

“We’re the only province that had that kind of response. We hope that continues,” Lee said. “Of course, during COVID-19 pandemic we’ve got to keep an eye on how the government manages its budget.”

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) raised a number of issues during a recent election forum.

Leross, Sask. farmer Kyle Heggie said the process for getting approval for water drainage needs to be faster. His farm was involved in an application that was very slow.

“It took about two years with everyone on board with it. If government could just please make these things move quicker,” Heggie said.

Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Chair Myles Thorpe said it goes beyond managing excess water in the spring or during storms.

“Water management is often used as a tool for a number of things for flood control, efficiency gains and productivity and it can improve water quality if it’s done right,” Thorpe said.

APAS President Todd Lewis said business risk management programs need to be improved so they actually work for farmers.

“Agriculture has ended up being a major driver of the economy during COVID-19,” Lewis said. “While many other sectors have slowed, agriculture has actually performed better. But farmers can’t be the backbone of the economy without the right government policy.”

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF