The 2025 provincial budget was a major talking point for the final day of Canada’s Farm Show on Thursday.
To begin the day, a panel discussion was held to review the agricultural portion of the budget.
Bill Prybylski is the president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS). He said there were areas of the budget he was happy with, including the increased funding for risk management programs and research.
“Those are areas important to producers. Overall, we’re pleased with the budget,” he said.
Tariffs and the future of canola were popular topics of conversation during the farm show.
Earlier this month, the U.S. announced 25 tariffs on Canadian goods, including steel and aluminum, and 10 per cent tariffs on energy imports.
On March 20, Chinese tariffs on some Canadian grains, including canola, were introduced.
While the tariff threat was addressed in the budget, an arbitrary contingency fund was not created due to a number of unknowns, including how long the trade disputes will last.
“I think it’s very prudent for us to take our time, understand those factors that lead to an appropriate response and deal with it when we know more information,” said Deputy Minister of Agriculture Bill Greuel.
Thousands of people within Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector visited this year’s farm show. Many shared their concerns about the tariffs being applied to Canadian goods.
“It does affect farmers, but it affects thousands of people who are employed by the canola crushers in this province,” said Kaitlyn Kitzan, a young farmer.
“This is going to have a much bigger impact to our local economy than just farmers,” she added.
Canada’s Farm Show is slated to return March 17-19, 2026.
