Saskatchewan farmers encouraged to complete survey on agricultural policy

Nov 15, 2016

Deadline for participation is January 31, 2017

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging members of the agriculture industry to complete a survey to help shape the next agriculture policy. The current framework, Growing Forward 2, expires in March 2018.

The survey asks producers for information including the type of operation they run, how many years they’ve been in business, and their total gross revenue.

“We are looking ahead to ensure Saskatchewan interests are represented in the program framework to follow GF2,” provincial Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said in a release. “I would encourage everyone involved in the agriculture industry to let us know their priorities through this survey.”

Earlier this year, Canada’s agriculture ministers identified six key areas: market and trade; science, research and innovation; risk management; environmental sustainability and climate change; value-added agriculture and agri-food processing; and public trust.

“As a government, we are focused on offering the programs and services that farmers, ranchers and agri-businesses need to be successful. Through the Next Policy Framework, we will continue to make strategic investments that help strengthen our industry and the economy," said Stewart.

Farmers have until January 31, 2017 to participate in the survey. Results will be compiled and posted after the deadline closes.

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.