Grazing Lease Rate Formula Amended to Support Livestock Producers

Mar 11, 2025

The Ministry of Agriculture has amended the Crown land grazing lease rate formula, effective for 2025.

The revisions to the grazing formula will offer relief to producers renting Crown land and contribute to affordability and stability for the livestock sector in the face of rising production costs. Amending the rental formula provides a transparent and straightforward calculation for producers to understand while increasing the stability and predictability of the annual rental rate.

"We have listened to feedback from producers and, as a result, these changes will contribute to the further growth of the province's livestock sector," Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said. "Additionally, this new formula provides a fair and transparent pricing structure for producers and a fair return for a public asset back to Saskatchewan taxpayers."

"We have been requesting changes to the formula for a while and are pleased where the province has landed," Saskatchewan Cattle Association Past Chair Keith Day said. "The 20 per cent ceiling on fee increase will help producers and community pastures better plan for any possible changes to the rates."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.