Wheat Growers Compile Saskatchewan Political Parties AG Policy

Oct 23, 2024

The Wheat Growers Association have asked each of the registered political parties in Saskatchewan a series of questions that are of interest to Wheat Grower members and Saskatchewan grain farmers.

On October 7, each party was sent the same list of questions and asked to reply by October 14. As of this press release, responses were received from the Saskatchewan Party and the Buffalo Party. Should other parties forward their responses, the website will be updated.

The questions are:

What is your party’s position on free and competitive markets in international trade, including the elimination of export subsidies, reduction of trade-distorting domestic support, and reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers that inhibit market access?
What is your party’s position on the grain transportation system and the ability to move grain to export market in an accountable and efficient manner, considering possible future overcrowding on the rail system?
What is your party’s position on the development of agricultural innovations that make farmers more profitable and sustainable, with a science-based regulatory approval process for the introduction of new technologies, including the adoption of genetically modified crops?
What is your party’s position on a carbon pricing system, including on a credit and debit system that acknowledges the significant carbon reductions being achieved by prairie grain growers through farming techniques and sequestering?
What is your parties position regarding Business Management Practices (BMP) being incorporated into agriculture Business Risk Management (BRM) programs?
As the next provincial government, what would your top priorities be for farmers and the agriculture industry in Saskatchewan?
Modern agriculture depends upon the rapid flow of data. Access to high-speed broadband is lacking in most parts of rural Saskatchewan. What is your party’s position on building a reliable, fast broadband network across the province?

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.