Better crop insurance, education property tax reform and help for the cattle industry are all on Saskatchewan producers’ wish lists during this provincial election campaign.
Voters go to the polls Nov. 7, four years after the last general election saw the New Democratic Party take 30 seats to the Saskatchewan Party’s 28.
The opposition took all but two of the rural seats.
Early in the 28 day campaign agricultural issues had not yet surfaced, except for the release of property tax plans by the two major parties Oct. 15. The Liberals had announced their plan in mid September.
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Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Glenn Blakley said the general farm organization would make agriculture a priority for candidates. It intends to host a forum in Saskatoon Oct. 23 where all parties will be invited to present their agricultural platforms.
“There are issues that we are really concerned about,” he said. “Cost of production is reaching levels that we’ve never seen before.”
APAS has released a list of four policy recommendations for the next government. At the top of the list is a significantly restructured crop insurance program to address cost of production and include all agricultural commodities, not just crops.
“We think it needs to be redesigned to be more effective, more responsive,” Blakley said.
APAS said the program has to ensure that, when disaster strikes, input costs are covered.
The organization also wants all fuel tax on agricultural fuel to be removed to help producers cope with rising input costs. Blakley said there are exemptions now but there is room for government to move further.
A third area is the environmental stewardship farmers provide.
“We are still promoting (environmental initiatives) as an opportunity to get some value out of their ecological goods and services,” he said.
APAS would like the province to establish funding for Alternate Land Use Services, to compensate farmers at fair market value for the environmental benefits they provide to society.
Alberta and Quebec are moving ahead with carbon trading and Saskatchewan producers could take advantage of that, too, Blakley added.
Education tax on property is a perennial concern for agricultural landowners. Blakley said announcements earlier this week need careful scrutiny.
Many producers are paying more now than they were before the current rebate was implemented because the government didn’t backfill funding to school divisions, he said.
APAS favours the removal of education tax from all property.
“It’s a people service. It’s better served by a people tax,” Blakley said.
