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By Alice McFarlane

NDP, farm group opposes Bunge-Viterra merger

Opposition calls on Saskatchewan Government to reverse its support for the Bunge-Viterra merger.

Jan 31, 2025 | 5:00 PM

Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck is calling on Transport Canada to reverse its support for the Bunge-Viterra merger saying it will cost Saskatchewan crop producers $770 million each year.

The Saskatchewan NDP has joined the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) in opposing the deal, warning it will hurt farmers and cost Saskatchewan jobs.

APAS points to a letter the Competition Bureau sent to the Minister of Transport in November, saying the merger will suffocate the agriculture sector and must be reconsidered.

APAS President Bill Prybylski said the merger could potentially lead to increased control by a single entity, suffocating competition and innovation.

“The decision by Transport Canada, countered by the Competition Bureau’s profound concerns, showcases the troubling oversight that could destabilize the agricultural markets upon which our economy relies so significantly,” Prybylski said. “Accepting subpar conditions sets a dangerous precedent, risking the livelihoods of countless farmers and the welfare of consumers.”

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Beck is also demanding the Sask. Party Government reverse its support for the harmful merger.

“The federal and provincial governments need to listen to our hardworking producers and pump the breaks on this deal,” Beck said. “This merger will be a gut punch to our agriculture sector and the many rural communities that rely on it.”

Regina South Albert NDP MLA Aleana Young was in Yorkton today to visit the local Chamber of Commerce, and the Grain Millers Canada facility. She said she has serious concerns.

“This is a proposed merger that’s going to reduce competition. It’s going to cost Saskatchewan farmers $770 million every year, so that’s $770 million this year, next year, the year after that as well as,” she said. “I represent Regina. It’s potentially going to kill 200 head office jobs in my hometown, let alone put some of those canola crush facilities at risk. So, a bad deal for Saskatchewan.”

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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