Federal food security strategy good news for Saskatchewan farmers

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan says the federal government's newly released National Food Security Strategy aligns with most of what the organization pushed for during the 2025 federal election.

APAS president Bill Prybylski called the strategy a positive step for producers, pointing to key areas including market fairness, regulatory efficiency, and agricultural infrastructure.

The strategy includes a $350 million Strategic Response Fund and a $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund aimed at boosting domestic processing of Canadian commodities. It also commits to cutting approval times for seed, feed, and fertilizers by at least one-third and maintaining the Advance Payment Program's interest-free limits to support farmer cash flow.

Prybylski highlighted the government's announcement of a task force on intergenerational farm transfers as a priority APAS has long championed.

"We are particularly encouraged by the government's announcement of a task force on intergenerational farm transfers as we highlight this as a critical priority for the Next Policy Framework," Prybylski said.

The strategy also strengthens the Competition Bureau's enforcement powers to address market concentration, accelerates infrastructure projects to reduce supply chain bottlenecks, and introduces temporary use permits for certain pesticides when national food or economic security is at stake.

Prybylski noted that the 2024 increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption and the doubling of financing to $1 million for young farmers under the Canadian Agricultural Loans Act add to the positive outlook for the next generation of Saskatchewan producers.

"The strategy is a starting point, and ongoing work and collaboration are needed to create action," Prybylski said.