APAS Says It’s Not Fair To Blame Producers For A Provincial Deficit

Dec 01, 2021

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is raising concern over the Province's claim that Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation payments caused the provincial deficit in 2021.

According to APAS Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation reported a $2.4 billion surplus for 2020 which was accumulated over previous years, as well as a sizable surplus in the reinsurance fund.

APAS Vice President Ian Boxall says it’s not fair to blame producers for a provincial deficit in a drought year when that surplus gets used up.

Boxall says over the last several years, claims have been lower than premiums, which is why a surplus was built up over time.

He notes if the Crop Insurance surplus had been invested in a dedicated fund, like the SGI Auto Fund, then that money would have been readily available for paying Crop Insurance claims.

Federal and provincial governments are also protected by reinsurance policies that insulate them from the risk of high claim years.

Click here to see more...

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.