Consumers may be paying more, but farmers’ share of the food price pie continued to shrink in 2024, according to a new study from the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS).
APAS on Thursday released its third annual Farmers and Food Prices report, which tracks seven key grocery products derived from Saskatchewan commodities. It showed farmers earned less than a year earlier for all products, except for retail pork.
For example, the farm share of the price for a 2.5 kg bag of flour eroded to 17% in 2024, down from 19.2% in 2023 and 25% in 2022, while the farm share for 1 loaf of bread dropped to just 4% from 4.9% and 6.2% the previous two years.
The farm share for canola oil (3 litres) eased to 30% in 2024, compared to 30.7% in 2023 and 41.6% in 2022. Margerine (907 g) saw the biggest year-over-year fall, with the farm share falling 3 points from 2023 to 11%.
Farmers’ share of lentil prices (900 g) amounted to 21% last year, down from 21.5% in 2023, and the share of a 24 case of beer slipped to 1% from 1.5%.
On the other hand, the farmer’s share of retail pork prices in 2024 inched up to 22% from 21.1% a year earlier.
“Over the past three years, the situation has not improved,” said APAS President Bill Prybylski. “Farmers are getting less, while consumers continue to pay high grocery prices. This year’s report isn't any different, showing a further dip in what farmers make from their commodities, even though food prices are barely budging downward.”
The products included in the study represent some of the key commodities grown in Saskatchewan – hogs, canola, wheat, barley, and lentils. They are also common household foods for Saskatchewan consumers and represent a variety of processing lengths. Pork is analyzed as ‘retail pork’, meaning that it is not a single cut of the animal, but an amalgamation of all cuts that come from a harvested animal, and the total cost of those products at a retail level.
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