Canola farmers are finding it hard to adapt to their already-changing industry, as a trade dispute wages on between Canada and China.
With 40 per cent of canola exports, mostly produced in Saskatchewan previously going to China, farmers like the Liebrechts are concerns about how the trade dispute will impact their bottom line.
“You know you work pretty hard to grow something,” Chad Liebrecht said. “And farming is the only industry where you can't price your own product so that’s frustrating, you’re at the mercy of everyone else.”
Chad is a second generation canola farmer, working under his father Garry. The ban on Canadian canola by China has put pressure on both father and son as they struggle to adapt.
“It is a different world compared to when he [Garry] was growing up,” Chad said. “You would just take a load in and sell it that day. Now you have to book it and look into the future.”
Canola is Liebrecht Farms largest cash flow crop with nearly 250 thousand bushels of canola sold annually. But the Liebrecht have considered halting future canola production if a deal with China is not made soon.
“Well we hope something happens soon beacause in a month we will be out there planting our seed and maybe will switch our seeding plans then.” Garry Liebrecht said.
On Friday the province met with the federal government to discus possible solutions for canola farmers.
