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By Cam Lee

Ag roundup

Ag roundup for Tuesday, Jan. 27

Jan 27, 2026 | 2:18 PM

Concerns continue to be raised about the job cuts at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The Agriculture Union is denouncing the over 1,000 cuts at AAFC, with the union representing almost half of those employees terminated.

National President of the Agriculture Union Milton Dyck says the cuts will sabotage important gains made in agricultural research, setting research on food products back by decades.

The union says while the federal public service has grown in recent years, the staffing numbers at AAFC have dropped 14 per cent over the past 13 years.

Among the cuts are two research farms in Saskatchewan at Scott and Indian Head, which has been in operation since 1887.

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Keith Currie, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, is also dismayed that research is being cut with the job losses.

Currie says about 25 per cent of pedigreed seed can be traced back to Indian Head alone.

He believes the research facilities are crucial for new technologies, innovation and the ability to adapt to changing climate patterns.

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The City of Melfort is looking for bids on some farmland they have for rent.

Director of Community Services Rob Lok says they have six parcels of farmland around the perimeter of Melfort that they would like to rent.

They are seeking bids from local farmers to farm the land for the next three years.

The six parcels of land are a total of 140 acres.

Anyone interested can check it out on the city’s website under Bids and Tenders, or find a link through their social media pages.