NDP calls for emergency legislation to support grain producers
Saskatchewan’s official opposition is calling on the government to pass emergency legislation to support local grain producers.
On Monday, Trent Wotherspoon, NDP critic for agriculture called on Dave Marit, minister of agriculture to act to protect producers who are unable to fulfill grain contracts from bankruptcy.
The summer saw below-average grain yields due to severely dry conditions.
“The provincial government has a role to play in ensuring protections are in place that will allow producers to carry their obligations forward to next year, and they also need to take steps to ensure that disputes between producers and grain companies can be resolved fairly and quickly,” said Wotherspoon.
The NDP also wants the province to establish an independent grain contract arbitration board to resolve disputes related to grain contracts.
Minister of Agriculture David Marit said he appreciates the NDP’s concerns and that they are listening to producers through these challenging times.
“However,” he said, “just 6 months ago, they wanted to reduce Saskatchewan Crop Insurance reserve funds, the very funds that are in place for more challenging years such as this one.”
“Unlike the NDP, we will continue to listen to producers and work with stakeholders, and we won’t be overreacting with wholesale changes to how our producers market their grain in this province,” said Merit in a statement.
He said they are committed to supporting farmers coping with the difficult growing season.
“I am convening a meeting with the grain commodity groups to discuss grain contracts, and we will continue to work with all of the players in the industry to ensure that the policies around grain contracts are fair and balanced for all parties involved,” said Merit.
Additionally, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is calling on the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) to work with producers struggling to pay their fees.
Ray Orb, SARM president, said the association is asking for even more compassion than in previous years because of the state of crops in some areas of the province.
Wade Sobkowich, executive director of WGEA, said the problem began when producers started to forward sell, which means securing a price for grain that has yet to be delivered. This led to a domino effect for the industry.
“Producers forward sold and some forward sold more than they probably should have,” said Sobkowich. “This caused grain companies to forward sell into the domestic and international marketplace in order to create movement to take advantage of higher prices.”
The Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) released a survey for farmers to illustrate the problem farmers are facing throughout the province and are encouraging them to participate.
“We just want to find out from the survey what are the differences between the companies and take that information and develop a plan going forward,” said Bill Prybylski, the vice president of APAS.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.