Welcome to the January edition of Agriview+
Minister's Message
As we turn the corner into 2025, it’s been a privilege for me to accept the role of Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture effective this past November. I want to thank my predecessor David Marit for being such a tireless advocate for not only this dynamic industry, but also for the many producers who are the biggest reason our province has become a global leader in agri-food production and best practices.
It’s vital for us to have the backs of our producers and businesses. The challenges you face—from uncertainty in the global marketplace to challenges closer to home, including labour disputes, supply chain disruptions, ongoing concerns with moisture conditions in the field and pest management issues—are top of mind for me, for this ministry and for this government. We will continue to monitor these situations, seek your input, listen to the concerns of our stakeholders and, above all, keep sharing Saskatchewan’s powerful story with the world.
It's a great story to tell. This is a time of significant potential and growth for Saskatchewan agriculture. Several key targets in our Growth Plan rely on this dynamic and innovative industry, such as increasing Saskatchewan’s value-added agriculture revenue to $10 billion by 2030. We’re on track to meet that target: our innovative value-added agriculture sector is one of the fastest-growing in Canada, with annual revenue that has more than doubled since 2012, from $3.5 billion to an estimated $7.5 billion in 2022-23.
In 2023, Saskatchewan set a record for agri-food exports for the fourth year in a row and exceeded our Growth Plan target of $20 billion. This was partly driven by a 27 per cent increase in agri-food export volume. We’re on track to also meet the goal of crushing 75 per cent of the canola we grow by 2030, based on major projects announced or already underway to expand our processing capacity.
Agriculture remains a core sector of Saskatchewan’s economy, with families, businesses and communities across the province directly or indirectly connected to it. Ultimately, when we’re setting records and reaching our long-term growth targets six years ahead of schedule, we’re moving in the right direction—because we know that when our agriculture producers and businesses are competitive and profitable, so is Saskatchewan.
Daryl Harrison
Minister of Agriculture