Agriculture organizations hopeful as new provincial budget released

Mar 24, 2023

Following the release of the provincial budget for 2023-24, agricultural organizations have been voicing their approval.

Included in the release is $548 million going to the ministry of agriculture, a 19% increase from last year.

Chad Ross, the vice-chair for the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, says that the increase in funding is good for them.

"The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association is pleased with today's announcement. It shows continued commitment by the government to the agriculture sector. These investments to the livestock sector are particularly important. our producers have been through many challenges in the past few years and so assistance from our government is very welcome."

Of that figure, $89.8 million is for strategic initiatives, including $38 million for agricultural research and innovation.

APAS Vice President Bill Prybylski details some of the notable programs funded by this year's budget.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 4: Using Data to Better Manage PRRSV

PRRS continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing pork producers, but each outbreak can also provide valuable information about herd recovery, losses and the management decisions that follow.In this episode, Dr. Ana Paula Serafini Poeta Silva, a research scientist at Iowa State University, discusses the PRRS Outbreak Management Program, or POMP, and what researchers have learned from a database containing information from more than 700 breeding-herd outbreaks. She explains how POMP uses data from individual outbreaks to establish benchmarks producers can use to better understand what to expect during recovery, including potential losses and the time it may take for a herd to return to baseline production. The conversation also explores how PRRS management has evolved, including the role of live virus inoculation and modified-live vaccines.