Rising diesel costs add pressure as AgriStability deadline approaches

By Your West Central Voice

Saskatchewan farmers facing sharply higher fuel costs this harvest are being encouraged to take another look at AgriStability before the extended Oct. 1 enrolment deadline.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) says diesel prices have nearly doubled compared to a year ago, adding significantly to farm operating costs at a time when producers are already dealing with a challenging growing and harvest season.

Using fuel-use estimates from the Saskatchewan Crop Planning Guide, APAS estimates higher diesel prices alone are adding approximately $20 per acre to production costs compared to last year.

For a 3,600-acre grain farm, that works out to approximately $72,000 in additional expenses.

Fuel costs are fully eligible expenses under AgriStability, a program designed to provide support when farm margins decline because of increased costs, reduced revenues or a combination of the two.

“Many producers are now in a position where they can look back at the season and see the risks that have already materialized,” said APAS president Bill Prybylski.

He pointed to increased fuel and fertilizer costs, delayed seeding, wet harvest conditions, quality concerns, trade uncertainty and tariff risks as challenges Saskatchewan producers have faced during 2026.

“The October 1 deadline provides producers with an opportunity to enrol in whole-farm coverage for a season that is almost complete,” Prybylski said.

The extended deadline also gives producers something they would not normally have during the traditional spring enrolment period — the ability to assess much of the growing season before deciding whether to participate.

By this point in the year, many farms can better determine whether higher expenses, reduced revenues or both could result in lower margins.

APAS says AgriStability provided approximately $402 million to Saskatchewan producers in 2025, nearly matching Crop Insurance indemnities during the same period.

“AgriStability has a reputation among some producers that may be based on experiences from years ago,” Prybylski said. “But the program has undergone changes, reference margins are historically strong, and the risks facing agriculture today are very different than they were a decade ago. Producers owe it to themselves to take another look.”

APAS continues to advocate for further changes to AgriStability as part of discussions surrounding Business Risk Management programs and the Next Policy Framework, including improvements for diversified farms, livestock producers and beginning farmers.

In the meantime, the organization is encouraging producers to evaluate the program as it currently exists.

Farmers who are still harvesting do not have to complete the entire AgriStability application process by Oct. 1. According to APAS, producers wishing to secure late participation only need to contact their local Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation office or the AgriStability call centre before the deadline.

Historical financial information and program fees do not have to be submitted by Oct. 1.

The AgriStability call centre can be reached at 1-866-270-8450.