The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) is pleased the Government of Saskatchewan is investing in agricultural programming and improving rural telecommunications.   APAS recognizes the provincial government's increased agricultural spending in the Budget. The six per cent increase amounts to $386.9 million for the agriculture industry. The government's…

The Rural Connectivity Task Force has released a discussion paper summarizing its findings at the halfway point since launching in September 2020. “All fall we’ve been meeting with experts on the subject of rural internet service,” says Rural Connectivity Task Force Chair and APAS Board member Jeremy Welter, who farms near Kerrobert, SK. “We’re talking to experts from…

APAS held its 2021 Annual General Meeting on March 30, 2021. Following the meeting, the APAS Board of Directors re-elected Todd Lewis, APAS Representative for RM of Lajord #128, as President for 2021. Lewis farms at Gray, Saskatchewan with his family, and was first elected to the position at the end of 2016. Ian Boxall of Tisdale and Bill Prybylski of Willowbrook were…

Call to Action: On behalf of Saskatchewan producers, contact your MP and MLA to support improvements to the AgriStability program. Key Points: The federal and provincial governments are talking about making improvements to AgriStability that would:Remove the AgriStability reference margin limit.Increase AgriStability payment levels from 70% to 80%.Share the cost (60% covered by the federal…

APAS is encouraged by news that the Federal and Provincial governments are considering improvements to the AgriStability program in their Federal/Provincial/Territorial meeting today. “It is very positive that the Federal Minister of Agriculture has tabled concrete proposals to fund their 60% share of the program,” said APAS President Todd Lewis, “and we hope that discussions…

APAS has launched an Internet Speed Test for Saskatchewan. The test gives people living anywhere in Saskatchewan the chance to test their internet speeds against what their internet contracts promise. The project is a partnership between APAS and the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), which works to improve the safety and accessibility of the internet for Canadians. The APAS…

The APAS Rural Connectivity Task Force met on November 5, 2020 for its second meeting since forming in September. The November 5 meeting was part of the Task Force's research phase, during which they are delving into the technical and regulatory issues that shape Canada's internet landscape. The Task Force welcomed in-depth presentations by internet experts Dr. Reza Rajabuin…

Congratulations to the following individuals who have been elected to represent their RMs as APAS Representatives. We look forward to working with each and every one of you to advocate for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers over the next four years. RM 1 (Argyle) – Brenda Ryckman RM 2 (Mount Pleasant) – Terrance Macfarlane RM 3 (Enniskillen) – Barry Fitzpatrick RM 33 (Moose…