The latest provincial budget includes a record crop insurance investment.
The total Saskatchewan Agriculture budget is $406.9 million, with $198.3 million dedicated to crop insurance. The new funding raises coverage for Saskatchewan farmers to $194 per acre.
Minister of Agriculture Lyle Stewart said in a press release that the new funding is to ensure farming and ranching families have the support they need to keep the province’s agriculture economy running strong. “Agriculture is a major contributor to our province’s economic growth and allows investment in the quality of all life for all Saskatchewan people,” he said.
Part of the new agriculture budget was designated for joint federal-provincial initiatives, including $71.2 million for initiatives in the Growing Forward II. The second installment of Growing Forward is a business risk management program that focuses on innovation, competitiveness, and market development. New details on the program are expected in April.
The new budget also includes $27.7 million for agriculture based research.
Not only is the research meant to help find ways to make Saskatchewan producers more productive, but Stewart said a media release that it’s meant to help establish the land of living skies as a global leader in bio-sciences.
