APAS RESOLUTIONS
Oil and gas Subcommittee
Saskatchewan Liability Rating Program for Energy Companies Lobby the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources to change the Licensee Liability Rating (LLR) Program so that outstanding landowner lease payments and municipal tax arrears are used as criteria to rate energy companies’ financial position.
Implementation of Updated Surface Rights Act Renew efforts to have the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources conclude their review of the Saskatchewan Surface Rights Compensation and Acquisitions Act by implementing the draft legislation that was written in 2014 but not enacted.
Third-Party Infrastructure Remaining on Land After Decommissioning Lobby the provincial government to make operating companies responsible for the removal of decommissioned third-party infrastructure and to subsequently release right of way caveats/easements on agricultural land.
Oil and Gas Company Arrears Lobby the Province of Saskatchewan in support of the RMs and landowners seeking legislative changes to hold oil and gas companies responsible for the municipal taxes they owe.
Livestock
Remote Sensing in Forage Insurance Programming Request that Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) adopt a program similar to Alberta’s “Satellite Yield Insurance Program” to improve the accuracy of forage production yield appraisal through the use of remote sensing and other satellite-based technology.
New and Small Producer Access to Provincial Agricultural Programming Lobby the provincial government to lower the minimum farm income thresholds access Farm Stewardship and Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure programming from $50,000 to $25,000.
FRWIP Coverage Cost for Permanent Wiring Lobby the provincial government to include permanent wiring from existing power sources to service water infrastructure as a coverable cost under FRWIP funding when deemed more economical or practical than alternative power sources such as solar.
Pregnancy Evaluation on Livestock by Trained Personnel Advocate for changes to the veterinary regulations to allow trained personnel to undertake pregnancy evaluations of livestock without a licensed veterinarian present.
Expansion of SCIC Weather Stations Lobby Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation to install additional weather stations throughout the province to more accurately represent rainfall amounts for the calculation of benefits under the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program.
Livestock
Motion of Support for Quill Lakes 5 Acre Plan Support the member RMs that are part of the Quill Lakes “5 Acre Plan” for water management.
Water Infrastructure Funding Advocate for enhancements to federal and provincial water infrastructure and water supply programming, including: 1. Infrastructure programs which mandate consideration and recognition of financial, organizational, and technical challenges faced by rural and remote communities, 2. A review of program design by both levels of government to identify solutions to the challenges in accessing public funding by rural communities and agricultural producers, 3. The adoption of the principle that programs providing public funding for infrastructure should provide benefits to all citizens in the region, urban and rural, and that proponents demonstrate the consideration of regional water needs. 4. The adoption of the principle that connections to publicly funded water infrastructure projects be accessible to neighbouring communities at a reasonable cost. 5. That Federal and provincial governments develop programs to assist rural and remote communities with the ability to build local capacity in planning, developing, and implementing water projects to meet local needs and enhance future resilience.
Water Dam Construction for Agricultural Uses Lobby all levels of government to provide support for the construction of new dams in creeks, ravines and other waterways to increase water reservoirs available for irrigation, livestock water supply, and other agricultural uses.
Land and Environment
Omission of Zero-Tillage Protocols from Allowable Carbon Offsets Credits Express extreme disappointment with provincial and federal governments regarding the decision to disallow zero-tillage offset protocols for Prairie producers because of the 40% adoption rate. Continue to advocate for the recognition of producer achievements in sequestering carbon through sustainable farming practices.
Saskatchewan Grain Bag Recycling Program Work with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment to explore potential changes to grain bag recycling program to better support the needs of new entrants in the market for agricultural plastics and recycling.
Finance & Rural Issues
Saskatchewan Growth Coalition Tax Proposals Call on the provincial government to reject the “Saskatchewan Growth Coalition” request to cap RM’s “Effective Mill Rate” (EMR) limit to 0.75-2.0 from the current EMR 1-9 limit. Work with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) and Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) to raise awareness about the “Saskatchewan Growth Coalition” platform and the impact their proposed tax changes would have on municipal revenue and property taxes for producers and residents.
Saskatchewan Farmers Advocate Office Lobby the Provincial Government to create a “Farmers Advocate Office” (FAO) similar to the FAO that exists in Alberta, to provide better access to services and resources in areas like dispute resolution, Farm Implements Act and Regulations, nuisance complaints and landowner surface rights.
Grains & Oilseeds
CGC Statutory Declarations Advocate the Canadian Grain Commission to require licensed elevator companies to separate “Statutory Variety Declarations” from commercial declarations that are specific to individual companies.
Crop Insurance Yield Cushioning Lobby Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to change its yield cushioning policy to cap yields at 70% of long-term average yields in disaster are automatically capped at 70% of long-term average.
Early Release of SCIC “What-if” Scenarios Request Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to publicise predicted prices and “what-if scenarios” in the middle of December for the 2022 and future program years.
Cash Advance Repayment on Interest- Free Portion Advocate for changes to the Advance Payment Program to ensure that repayments are evenly split between the interest free and interest-bearing portions of the loans.
SCIC Crop Establishment Policy Lobby Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation for policy changes to provide producers the choice between an establishment claim and full yield coverage when crops do not grow or fail to establish due to insurable losses.
Funding for Breeding Programs Protect the viability of public crop breeding programs for the 2023 “Next Policy Framework” by lobbying Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for Agriscience Clusters that continue to provide funding for all crop breeding activities necessary to bring a new variety to market, including the reinstatement of a 70:30 (government-producer) cost share arrangement for smaller acre crops that cannot afford to meet lower funding ratios.
Economics & Trade
Farmer Share of the Food Dollar Work with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and other farm organizations to conduct research and promote awareness about the percentage of food costs that costs that go to primary production.
Promoting Competition in Agricultural Markets Take advantage of the recent elevation of competition policy discourse and work to advocate for farmer interests in key markets and areas of concern, such as rising input costs, rail freight costing review, price spreads in retail beef market, and the right to access software for equipment repair.
Trade and Market Development Programs Work with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to ensure federal trade and market development programs meet the needs of smaller acre crops and niche commodities through program changes that provide: • Better support for domestic market development and promotion • Financial assistance to help sectors resolve emerging non-tariff trade restrictions • Flexible funding agreements for smaller commodity associations that are unable to meet existing cost-shared funding requirements.
