New legislation in Saskatchewan that would allow the province to dismantle marketing boards might be unpopular, but it is necessary, Eric Upshall told a Saskatoon chamber of commerce meeting.
The provincial agriculture minister didn’t have a hard time selling the crowd on the merits of the controversial legislation.
John Cross, Saskatoon chamber of commerce member and president of the agriculture biotech company Philom Bios, said the minister’s attitude is refreshing.
“Finally the government is saying it can’t create jobs, but can create wealth by creating an environment for business to come in and create careers for our children,” Cross said. “I sense there is a feeling of support here.”
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Upshall said industry insiders tell him marketing boards likely won’t exist in the next five years, and the province has to be ready.
“It’s a security blanket that we don’t want to take off,” he told the meeting.
New legislation is necessary if Saskatchewan is going to compete with producers in Alberta and Manitoba, particularly in the hog business, Upshall said.
Recalling an example from Manitoba, he said the agriculture minister there got rid of the single-desk system to allow Schneiders to build a $50 million meat packing plant in that province.
“If someone came to Saskatchewan and said that, we wouldn’t have had the authority,” Upshall said.
