Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
The provincial government is providing financial relief after spring flooding gave the growing season a rough start, leaving about 500,00 acres unseeded.
On Sept. 3, Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced changes to the 2026 AgriStability Program.
Read more:
- Harvest progress ‘significantly below’ five-year average: Crop report
- ‘Overwhelming’ survey result show Sask. in favour of social media limits for kids
- Federal funding to support Saskatoon businesses against U.S. tariffs
These changes will support growers impacted by flooding and excess moisture earlier this year.
In May, for instance, the Rural Municipality of Garden River had 10 to 11 feet of water in some parts, with some areas growing seven to eight inches overnight.
Record floods along the Shell and Carrot Rivers forced several northern First Nation communities to evacuate.
On May 10, around 34 communities declared local states of emergency due to excess water, caused in part by rapid spring snowmelt.
“Farmers work hard to prepare for growing seasons, but extreme weather can quickly change realities on the ground,” MacDonald said in a news release.
“That is why we are committed to supporting producers through our Business Risk Management programs.”
Sask. Ag Minister Dave Marit said Crop Insurance found that about 500,000 acres had gone unseeded this year. He said, given what he saw early in the summer, he thought the number would have been bigger.
For 2026, the interim payment rate for Saskatchewan producers will rise from 50 to 75 per cent of the estimated final benefit.
This payment can help offset the impacts producers face by providing an advance on their AgriStability benefit to cover production losses and increased costs.
While the deadline to enrol in the AgriStability Program was April 30, late participation is now available until Oct. 1, though it will come with a reduced benefit.
“Extending it now gives producers, regardless of where you are in the province, (an opportunity) to have a look at your situation and say, ‘you know what, maybe I should have a look at Agstability and just see if it’s going to help my situation or not,’” explained Marit.
According to the release, the program uses margins to determine if a producer is eligible for benefit payments, considering the change in inventory from the previous year.
In addition to grain or feed inventory loss and livestock loss, it will capture land that was too wet to seed or land flooded after seeding.
“In both situations, AgriStability will account for the lost production on the farm and will capture those losses in the margin calculator,” a news release from the provincial government noted.
SARM President Hill Huber said in a news release, “These measures are a positive step that recognizes the real impacts of wet conditions on farm operations.”
For Sask Wheat Board Chair Jocelyn Velestuk, the changes to AgriStability “take into consideration the unseeded acres due to extremely wet conditions at seeding time or flooded out acres.”
The provincial and federal government made other changes to Agristability earlier this year for livestock producers — including pasture rents and leases as an eligible expense and putting a value on producers putting up their own feed.
Since it’s a program shared between provinces and the federal government, Marit said the changes were a collaborative effort. He said he’s always looking for ways to improve it.
— with files from 650 CKOM’s Libby Gray, and 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick
Read more:
