Saskatchewan’s election is coming up on October 26, 2020. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has released a set of proposals designed to get candidates from all political parties thinking about how best to support Saskatchewan’s agricultural sector.
“Agriculture has ended up being a major driver of the economy during COVID-19,” says farmer and APAS President Todd Lewis. “While many other sectors have slowed, agriculture has actually performed better. But farmers can’t be the backbone of the economy without the right government policy.”
A wide range of issues that impact the province’s farmers and other rural residents are covered in the proposals, with topics that include infrastructure, environmental stewardship, resource development on farmland, business risk management, and changing demographics.
“Improving rural infrastructure like internet, cell service, and natural gas is urgent, as is committing to public research and fixing business risk management programs so they actually work for farmers. These are just a few of the major challenges to agriculture that we need all the candidates to acknowledge,” says Lewis.
APAS has sent the proposals to every registered political party in Saskatchewan and hopes to see the recommendations in their party platforms.
APAS is also partnering with the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association to host the Growing Agriculture: 2020 Saskatchewan Provincial Election Forum, where ag producers and political candidates will discuss the top issues for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. The event will be hosted by RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and will be broadcast on AccessNow TV and RealAgriculture.com from October 19 to 25.
