SaskBarley Advocates for Farmer Priorities at Saskatchewan Lobby Week
SaskBarley Executive Director Jill McDonald and Board Chair Cody Glenn joined producer-led partners from SaskCrops for Saskatchewan Government Lobby Week 2025 at the Legislature in Regina. The November 18 event brought together representatives from SaskBarley, SaskOats, SaskOilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Sask Wheat. The goal? To engage provincial officials on shared priorities that shape the future of Saskatchewan agriculture. Discussions focused on Saskatchewan agriculture policy, aiming to address and improve it for the benefit of local farmers.
A key focus was the importance of continued investment in agricultural research, including programs such as ADF, ADOPT, SRI, SRP and support for Agri-ARM sites. SaskBarley emphasized that research drives on-farm innovation, strengthens profitability and keeps Saskatchewan barley competitive in global markets. The group also highlighted the growing need for economic analysis capacity, ensuring policymakers understand the full value of producer-funded research and agronomic tools.
On the trade front, SaskCrops stressed the importance of protecting and resetting market access. This is particularly important as global volatility and non-tariff barriers continue to challenge Canadian exporters. Included was a strong call for solutions addressing the ongoing Port of Vancouver bottlenecks – a major obstacle in Canada’s most critical grain export corridor.
The delegation also underscored the need for greater market transparency. The group emphasized the need for a national export sales reporting system to give farmers clearer insights and improve marketing decisions. Discussions further focused on strengthening Canada’s transportation reliability and amplifying Saskatchewan’s sustainability story, ensuring environmental policies reflect and support the practices farmers already implement.
Through collaborative advocacy, SaskBarley continues to ensure the priorities of Saskatchewan’s barley producers are well represented in provincial decision-making.
