Cattle producers tell a conference that it’s always preferable to own land, but renting is sometimes the only way to go
Owning land is better than renting when it comes to cattle ranching, even though it’s not always possible. That was the general consensus among three cattle ranchers who offered their views during an online panel discussion as part of the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference. “I’m a farmer at heart and we all want to […] Read moreTag Archives farmland ownership
Who owns what in Sask.?
A study of Saskatchewan farmland purchases has found that investors have indeed driven up land prices, but others are also willing to pay more than assessed value. Farmland values rose quickly from 2006-15, authors Andre Magnan and Annette Aurelie Desmarais say in a paper published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (PDF format) For […] Read more
Senators grill Sask. on tighter farmland rules
Ag minister defends changes to the Farmland Security Act designed to stop foreign investors from pushing up prices
OTTAWA — The ability of farmers to act as fronts for foreign investors is coming to an end, and farmland prices now better reflect agricultural economics, says Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister. Lyle Stewart said the practice of foreign investor financing being funneled through such “underground” farmland transactions are being stemmed by his province’s new land ownership […] Read more
The case for flexible land financing
Skyline Agriculture Financial is appealing a court ruling that prohibits it from offering its financing model to people interested in buying Saskatchewan Farmland. The court upheld a Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board ruling that Skyline’s model violates provincial land ownership laws because it involved money from foreign investors. As a Canadian financial institution, Skyline Agriculture […] Read more
Foreign ownership of Sask. farmland increasing ‘rapidly’
Investment ownership increased 16-fold from 2002 to present, prompts calls for social investment in land
Outside investors own a small but rapidly expanding share of Saskatchewan farmland, according to research conducted by the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. The group analyzed the change in farmland ownership from 2002-14 to see how relaxing ownership regulations has affected the province. In 2002, the NDP government changed the regulations to allow ownership […] Read more
