Reports & Presentations

September 2023 - PMRA Notice of Intent: Strengthening the regulation of pest control products in Canada

In the summer of 2023, Health Canada proposed four areas of regulatory amendments to the Pest Control Products Regulations. This included:

  • increased public access to confidential test data;

  • increased transparency for maximum residue limit (MRL) applications for imported food products;

  • explicit authority for the Minister of Health to require the submission of cumulative environmental effects where information and methodology are available; and

  • strengthened consideration of species at risk in risk assessments by giving the Minister the explicit authority to require the submission of available information on species at risk.

In response, this submission emphasizes that Canada’s science-based, regulatory framework for pesticides is among the best in the world and already addresses several of the transformation objectives proposed by Health Canada through its operation. SaskCrops remains supportive of a fully transparent process and notes that it is important that any transformative processes do not draw scarce PMRA resources away from core PMRA work making crop protection tools available to farmers.

August 2023 - Finance Canada’s Pre-Budget Submissions

SaskCrops continues to submit annually to Finance Canada’s federal pre-budget consultations. The SaskCrops submissions emphasize the need for the government to acknowledge Saskatchewan’s annual crop producers’ contributions to the Canadian economy, global food security, and emissions reduction. The submissions also draw attention to the need for the government to meaningfully and constructively encourage agricultural innovation through increased and accelerated investment in research that will enable primary agricultural producers to lower their carbon footprint and increase their capacity to competitively meet Canadian and global demand for their products, both of which are stated goals and targeted objectives of the government.

July 2023 - Sask Wheat Support Letter for APAS Submission: Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-89

The Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat) supports the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s (APAS) submission to the CRTC Broadband Fund policy review. Rural connectivity is a crucial driver of agricultural growth in Saskatchewan. Access to reliable and affordable telecommunication services is increasingly important for the management of farm operations, including accessing and developing markets, as well as the continued adoption and use of new innovative production technologies to increase profitability and efficiency at the farm level. Saskatchewan agricultural producers require connectivity beyond strictly households, including throughout cropland and rangelands. The APAS submission, which Sask Wheat fully supports can be found here. 

April 2023 - Review of Proposal to Raise Western Canadian Primary Grade Tolerances to Export Grade Tolerances

Sask Wheat commissioned a review of the Canadian Grain Commission’s proposed harmonization of the remaining differing primary and export tolerances in wheat, particularly test weight. The study discusses the potential distribution of costs and benefits between producers and the grain handling industry from the proposed changes.  

August 2022 - Written Submission for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Fertilizer Emissions Reduction Target Consultation (SaskCrops & APAS)

The Saskatchewan Crop Commissions (SaskCrops), comprised of SaskBarley, SaskCanola, SaskFlax, SaskOats, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Sask Wheat, along with the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) provided a written submission to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on the Government of Canada’s Fertilizer Emissions Reduction Target.

March 2022 - The Benefits and Costs of Producer and Public Investments: Wheat Varietal R&D in Western Canada 1995 to 2020

This study was undertaken as a part of a levy review commissioned by the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat) for the purpose of estimating the benefits and costs of producer investments in wheat varietal development in Western Canada. Initiated with the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) in 1994, Western Canada now has 27 years of experience with producer-funded, producer-controlled, investments in varietal research and development (R&D). This long legacy of varietal R&D can give a clear picture of the return on investment, even when benefits are spread over a few decades.

April 2021 - Data Requirements for a Transparent Market

Improving market transparency is a key issue for farmers and has been a longstanding focus of Sask Wheat. This report provides a comprehensive overview on data gaps in grain markets and the solutions required to put producers on an equal footing when planning their cropping decisions and marketing their production.

October 2020 - Review of Potential Changes to the Canada Grain Act

Sask Wheat commissioned a review of potential changes being considered for the Canada Grain Act and the implications of these changes on the activities and economics of Saskatchewan grain producers. The review encompasses the operations of the Canadian Grain Commission which was created in 1912 as a result of the passing by the Parliament of Canada of the Canada Grain Act.

September 2017 — Producer’s Coalition Response to the Transportation Modernization Act (Submission to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

October 2016 — An Economic Analysis of Western Canadian Grain Export Capacity (Richard Gray and Mohammad Torshizi)

September 2016 — Producer Coalition Submission to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) Review Panel in Response to the CTA Review Report

July 20, 2015 — Farmers’ Forum on Transportation

December 8, 2014 — Producer Coalition Group (Sask Wheat, Sask Barley, Sask Pulse, APAS)