UPDATED – October 7, 2015 – 1430 CST – The vast majority of more than 3,200 people who responded to the Saskatchewan survey on farmland ownership don’t want investors such as pension funds to own farmland.
They also want the government to more strictly enforce the rules.
Agriculture minister Lyle Stewart released the results of the online survey Oct. 7 but won’t announce legislative measures until later. The fall sitting of the Legislature resumes Oct. 13.
He said legislation and regulations could be introduced and passed this fall in advance of the provincial election planned for April 4.
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“We’re willing to be, if not exactly governed by the results of the survey we’re certainly willing to be strongly influenced by it and I hope that we’ll be able to introduce legislation fairly soon that will reflect that,” Stewart told reporters.
NDP agriculture critic Cathy Sproule said the opposition would have to see the bill before committing to supporting it. The NDP wants the loophole that allowed the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board to buy land tightened.
Sproule also called for more disclosure of where the money for land purchases originates to stop foreign money from being used.
The survey found 75 percent of respondents opposed Canadian pension fund ownership, 87 percent opposed foreign ownership and 69 percent did not support foreign financing.
Eighty-five percent supported a greater role for the Farm Land Security Board in enforcing compliance with the rules.
The majority of respondents, 95 percent, were Saskatchewan residents and 62 percent were farmers.
Farmland owners and interested residents comprised the remainder. Five percent were from outside Saskatchewan.
The complete results are available at www.saskatchewan.ca/farmland with identifying information and offensive language removed, the government said.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
