Rejecting calls for open meetings on the province’s contentious farmland ownership rules, Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart officially launched the public consultation part of the government’s review of the Saskatchewan Farm Security Act on Wednesday.
“The consultations will take place online at www.saskatchewan.ca/farmland,’’ Stewart told a news conference Wednesday.
The website contains a survey and a background document describing the current rules governing farmland ownership, the role of the Farm Land Security Board, and a comparison of farmland ownership rules in other provinces.
Under current rules, only Canadian residents and “100 per cent Canadian-owned entities” can own more than 10 acres of farmland in Saskatchewan. However, temporary restrictions were put in place April 13 to prevent pension funds and other institutional investors from acquiring farmland in Saskatchewan until the review of farmland ownership rules is complete.
The move was in response to public outcry — mostly from rural residents — about the purchase of 115,000 acres of farmland owned by Assiniboia Farmland Partnership by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for $128 million in December 2013. The transaction was deemed compliant with the act by Ministry of Justice officials and not reviewed by the Farm Land Security Board.
“Consultations with the public will help us understand who should, or should not, be allowed to own farmland in Saskatchewan, specifically pension plans, investment trusts, pension plan administrators and foreign investors,” Stewart said.
For those without Internet access, a paper version of the survey will be available at Ministry of Agriculture regional offices. The survey should take 10 or 15 minutes to complete. “This is a small amount of time to provide feedback on this important issue and to help ensure that our government is on the right path regarding farmland ownership,’’ Stewart said.
The ministry will also meet “one-on-one” with organizations representing farmers, business, investors and other stakeholder groups “by invitation only.” The consultation process runs until Aug. 10, after which all the feedback will be posted online and used to inform government decision-making.
But Stewart rejected calls by Progressive Conservative (PC) Party Leader Rick Swenson to hold public meetings on farmland ownership rules.
Source : LeaderPost