SARM Sounds Alarm - Inflation, Policy Hinder Saskatchewan's Breadbasket

Feb 08, 2024

By: Farms.com

In Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is raising its voice. They're calling for more support from both federal and provincial governments to tackle several pressing issues.

High on their list are inflation, strict environmental policies, and rising costs for fuel, fertilizer, and herbicides. These challenges pose significant threats to food security and the sustainability of agriculture in the province.

SARM President Ray Orb emphasizes the importance of support to meet the government's food security goals and mitigate the impact of inflation. This is essential for enabling new farmers to enter the industry and for existing ones to maintain competitiveness on a global scale.

Saskatchewan's agriculture sector, renowned for its high-quality grains, oilseeds, pulses, livestock, and agri-food products, has faced record exports. However, to continue this success, understanding and support from the government are critical.

The province's rural producers are known for their innovation and resilience, but they face hurdles from inflation, expectations for fertilizer reduction, and ineffective environmental policies. Despite these challenges, there's a collective hope within SARM and its members for pragmatic solutions that encourage positive change.

As Saskatchewan stands as a self-sustainable province, the effects of these challenges are felt by every household, impacting the cost of food and fuel. The upcoming 119th Annual SARM Convention aims to address these issues, presenting strategies to ensure the sustainability of food production and security continues to thrive in Saskatchewan.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.