By Alice McFarlane

Task force will make recommendations for agriculture programs

Oct 5, 2021 | 3:23 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — A Saskatchewan farm group will be gathering comments on the next suite of the business risk management programs (BRM).

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has created a task force that will prepare recommendations for the Next Policy Framework (NPF) that will be the basis of a new five-year federal-provincial-territorial agricultural funding agreement set to start in 2023.

Governments are expected to finalize a shared policy direction statement this fall and begin discussions on the details of the program’s design, according to APAS president Todd Lewis.

“Federal-provincial agreements set out the direction of most of the important government programming for agriculture, and it’s time to renew our approach,” Lewis said. “Funding has not changed over the last three agreements, but our agricultural production has increased, and so has our risk.”

Lewis said that risk has increased because of the instability in international trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, and widespread drought.

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“It’s time to update our BRM programs and make sure we’re ready for the future,” Lewis said.

The task force will consult with producers, other agricultural stakeholders, and government officials and develop priorities based on the information that is collected.

The members of APAS’s NPF Task Force include APAS vice-president Bill Prybylski, former APAS president Norm Hall, director Scott Owens, and R.M. representatives Brent Freedman, Trevor Green and Devon Walker.

Lewis said the members of the task force have different agricultural backgrounds, are from different regions of the province and will be able to provide a strong, united, and diverse voice for Saskatchewan.

“Their perspectives on what needs to be included in the NPF is essential for the sustainability and success of the province’s agricultural sector,” Lewis said.

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership agreement ends Mar. 31, 2023.

Once applications are submitted, the federal government will have one year to determine the funding model of the NPF split between federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

Lewis said APAS’s submission will highlight the need for BRM, AgriStability, research investment, trade, and market development programs, and increasing agricultural exports to international markets.

He said the proposal will outline what Saskatchewan producers see as successes in the current agreement but also ways to improve the new contract for all parties.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW