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By Alice McFarlane

APAS Meeting

Prairie leaders forum discusses trade, harvest and support programs

Dec 6, 2019 | 11:07 AM

Prairie farm leaders met in Regina to discuss harvest challenges, trade and business risk management programs.

It was part of a forum during the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) annual general meeting.

Bill Campbell with Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers talked about the amount of crop that was severely downgraded by wet weather and the stress on farmers.

“The reality starts to hit home when you cannot market your crop and pay your bills. So, there’s a tremendous stress in the rural communities. We look at some of the issues that are ongoing. We know that Manitoba has a farm stress line. The calls are up,” Campbell said.

In Alberta, 45 per cent of the sugar beet crop was frozen and in Manitoba 45 per cent of the potato crop was not harvested.

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APAS president Todd Lewis pointed to ongoing sales to China despite trade issues. He said there is demand for canola and felt the grain industry was not reflecting market signals.

“I think that needs to be a question we start talking about. Is there anybody in this room that can’t ship canola right now? There’s a demand for it. But it’s at the price they’re wanting to pay for it. We’re off a couple bucks, at least, for our canola,” Lewis said. “How motivated is our industry to see that price get back up when they’re crushing it all at $9.00 and selling oil at the same price that they were last year? The margins in the canola crushing industry are huge.”

Lewis also pointed to U.S. farm subsidies and the impact on inputs in Canada. But he said there is some positive signs.

“The good news, I think, is we’ve got product that people want. Shipping is still a huge issue. That’s the number one trade barrier we still have on the horizon, getting the stuff through Vancouver, through Churchill, through Thunder Bay,” Lewis said. “Getting that stuff shipped and, more processing. I think the government’s 2030 plan with the 75 per cent canola crush (in Saskatchewan), all those kind of things are vitally important. That’s how we’re going to get out of this mess.”

Alberta’s Lynn Jacobson told APAS delegates business risk management programs (BMR) may need further review.

“Some of what we’ve been working on with the BMR and allowable expenses is one of the things that has been a real touchy point for us as we go forward,” Jacobson said. “That’s some of the things that we’re just talking about and everybody’s allowable expenses are different in every industry. One business risk management program that covers everything as an overall program. But individual industries have to have some ability to moderate that and actually apply it to their industry.”

Lewis also said AgriStability is not effective and needs more work.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF