The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan says the federal government’s new National Food Security Strategy addresses many of the organization’s priorities, particularly around market competition, regulatory efficiency and agricultural infrastructure.
In a statement Monday, APAS President Bill Prybylski said the organization welcomes commitments to reduce market concentration and accelerate approvals for essential farm inputs. He also highlighted the planned creation of a task force on intergenerational farm transfers, an issue APAS wants prioritized in the next federal-provincial agricultural policy framework.
The federal government launched the strategy last week as a broad plan to make food more affordable while strengthening Canadian food production and supply chains. Developed amid rising grocery prices and concerns about reliance on imported food and agricultural inputs, the strategy aims to address the structural causes of food insecurity. It includes measures intended to expand domestic production and processing, improve competition, reduce regulatory delays and give consumers greater access to affordable Canadian food.
Among the measures supported by APAS is a commitment to strengthen the Competition Bureau’s enforcement capabilities and reduce concentration across the food supply chain. The strategy also proposes speeding up major infrastructure projects to ease transportation and supply-chain bottlenecks.
The government has committed to clearing approval backlogs and reducing processing times for seed, feed and fertilizer applications by at least one-third. It will also gain authority to temporarily permit certain pesticides when necessary for national food or economic security.
Domestic processing would be supported through a $350-million Strategic Response Fund and a $1-billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund. APAS also welcomed the continuation of interest-free limits under the Advance Payments Program, which provides farmers with access to operating cash.
Prybylski said the measures complement the 2024 increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption and the doubling of Canadian Agricultural Loans Act financing for young farmers to $1 million.
However, he cautioned that the strategy represents only a starting point and will require continued cooperation and effective implementation to support family farms and the next generation of Saskatchewan producers.
