Karen Briere

A complaint from Saskatchewan that the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency has not lived up to the terms of a national agreement when it allocated more quota is in a judge’s hands. Federal court judge Michel Shore heard two days of arguments in Vancouver earlier this month. Michael Katz, general manager of Saskatchewan Egg Producers, said […] Read more

The presidency of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has moved from the northeastern corner of the province to the southwest. David Marit, who farms with his family at Fife Lake, Sask., won a three-way race to replace Neal Hardy. Hardy, the reeve of the RM of Hudson Bay, opted not to run again after […] Read more

Rural ratepayers are concerned that they won’t realize the full value of education tax relief recently announced by the Saskatchewan government because school boards will raise their mill rates. Several delegates to last week’s Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in Regina raised the issue with premier Lorne Calvert and members of cabinet during a […] Read more

Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall has assigned several of his MLAs to look at the biofuels industry and how farmers could best benefit from it. Speaking to delegates at the annual Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention, Wall announced that Bob Bjornerud, Lyle Stewart, Wayne Elhard and Glen Hart would examine ways to put more […] Read more

It didn’t take long for federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl to have Saskatchewan rural politicians eating out of his hand. Beginning his remarks by referring to the gopher “harvest” set the right tone for delegates to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention. Afterward, many commented on his sense of humour, his relaxed style and […] Read more

Rural policing costs are too high, say Saskatchewan municipalities, but they aren’t yet willing to withhold their fees to the RCMP in protest. A resolution presented to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities at last week’s annual convention asked delegates to “unite our protest, and withhold our policing cost remittance so that we get the […] Read more

If Rod Edgar sees the full benefit of cuts to education tax on the agricultural land he farms, he’ll save about $8,000. On an education tax bill of between $20,000 and $24,000, that’s a significant saving. “I don’t have it earmarked,” said the Wolseley, Sask., farmer. “It increases my potential for profit.” Edgar rents about […] Read more

Saskatchewan crop insurance premium rates may be dropping slightly but some producers are going to be picking up a larger share of the tab. That’s because farmers are now required to pay 40 percent of premium costs at all coverage levels. Stan Benjamin, general manager of the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp., said producers were told […] Read more

The federal government denies claims that it maliciously prosecuted western Canadian farmers for taking wheat and barley into the United States without a permit. In a statement of defence filed with the federal court on behalf of the attorney general of Canada, the government asked the court to dismiss the claim made by 15 prairie […] Read more