Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister Is Proud Of The Way The Industry Has Come Together

Dec 21, 2020

Agriculture Minister David Marit says he's proud of how the ag sector and the province have been working together through COVID.

In the Spring they started weekly calls with stakeholder groups to stay in touch with the challenges of COVID.

"Obviously, there was more challenges in the livestock side than there was from the grain side as a result of plant closures. Obviously, with the downturn in the economy as far as businesses being open that were like restaurants, bars and sporting events and things like that."

He says when processors had to idle plants, the Province stepped up with a set-aside program which allowed producers to deal with feeder animals and the 40% premium rebate they offered producers involved in the WLPIP program when premiums started to skyrocket.

Marit says one area he's also proud of is the province's dedication and investment in research.

"We invested just under $33 million in Agriculture Research, here in the Province of Saskatchewan, and that's for obviously crops and that side but also for livestock as well. It's all really important and relevant for us to ensure that we have that investment in research and continue that."

He notes countries around the world recognize that we are growing safe, high quality, environmentally friendly food adding our agriculture industry here in the Province is world-class and that's something to be proud of.

Click here to see more...

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.