By Alice McFarlane

New leadership for Saskatchewan agriculture group

Dec 6, 2024 | 4:00 PM

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has selected a new President.

Bill Prybylski takes on the new role after winning an election during the APAS Annual General Meeting in Regina this week, beating two other candidates.

Ian Boxall wasn’t seeking another term as President.

Prybylski said he was humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the President for the coming year.

“I’m very much looking forward to the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead and looking forward to working with all the industry folks and government doing what I can for the for the betterment of the ag sector,” he said.

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Prybylski brings knowledge to the role after serving as APAS Vice-President for six years. He is looking forward to the new challenge.

“I have a great deal of respect for the organization and a great deal of respect for past leaders and really looking forward to the opportunity of stepping up into the President’s role,” he said. “When the opportunity arose, I was glad to put my name forward.”

APAS is involved in many agriculture-related issues. Prybylski said, personally, his major objective to enhance collaboration with other groups.

“All the crop commissions, SARM, with the government and the opposition. I think we’re all here for the same reasons to make the agriculture sector a little bit better so if there’s opportunities for us to collaborate, I am all for that type of action going forward,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to sitting down with some of the other organizations and just seeing where we can collaborate on different issues. I’m thinking that’s going to be my focus in the near term.”

NDP leader Carla Beck spoke at the APAS AGM. She talked about the challenges facing the agriculture sector. Prybylski said it’s important to have a good relationship with all levels of government.

“We were very grateful for her to show up at the AGM. The fact that she has made herself the ag critic, we recognize that they understand the importance of agriculture and they’re willing to step up to the plate. They want to work with us. We’re all here for the same reason,” he said. “Having her there obviously sent a signal that they are willing to accept that agriculture is an important part of the economy of the province, and we were very grateful to have her there to speak.”

Prybylski said he appreciated the new provincial agriculture minister, Daryl Harrison, attended the AGM as well. He said it’s a busy time of year with the legislature sitting.

“We need to sit down and go over some of the issues and we’re definitely willing to sit down with him when it works for his schedule and we’ll definitely take the opportunity to express our issues on behalf of our members. I think he recognizes that as well. So again, we were very appreciative of him taking the time to stop in and address our assembly.”

With the release of the Auditor’s report this week there has been a great deal of focus on foreign farmland ownership. Prybylski said there needs to be careful examination of farmland transactions.

“The process of scrutinizing those land sales maybe needs to be reviewed and loopholes that need to be filled. I think it was very timely that the report came out at the same time as we were having that discussion at our AGM,” he said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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