SCA Applauds Budget Increases to Research and Increased Funding For S-CAP.

March 23rd, 2023

Regina, SK

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association (SCA) is pleased to see this year’s provincial agriculture budget increase by 19 percent from last year. Some of the highlights include $408 million to fund risk management programs including Crop Insurance and AgriStability. The AgriStability compensation rate will increase from 70 to 80 per cent for the 2023 program year, something SCA has advocated for.

The province budgeted $89.8 million for strategic initiatives under the federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which will include help for producers to develop wells, dugouts, and pipelines. Also included is an increase in funding for irrigation programming.

“SCA appreciates the commitment to fiscal restraint and a balanced budget,” says SCA CEO Grant McLellan. “When you look at the increases to programs like FRWIP already announced, and no new taxes, this budget does a good job of providing reliable support for our livestock sector.”

The announcement of $1 million to combat invasive species such as leafy spurge is also welcome news for producers, particularly in the South West area of the province, an area which has been suffering through consecutive droughts.

The budget increases comes on the heels of the announcement that an investment of $485 million in Saskatchewan will be made under the new five year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership as part of this budget.

This is in addition to the January announcement at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference where the Government of Saskatchewan announced that they were freezing the 2023 rate charged to producers leasing Crown grazing land, with a 50 per cent reduction in rent for eligible producers that reduced their stocking rates due to dry conditions.