Agriculture Minister David Marit making the announcement at CanMar Foods in Regina this morning.

Marit was joined by Gudie Hutchings, Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, on behalf of Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The new Sustainable CAP is a $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency in the agriculture sector.

The suite of programs targets five main priority areas:

1. Building Sector Capacity, Growth and Competitiveness: $176.6 million investment to build the agriculture sector capacity, ensuring growth and competitive advantages.
2. Climate Change and Environment: $53.4 million to support the long-term resiliency and sustainability of the sector.
3. Resiliency and Public Trust: $40.2 million to support the sustainability of the sector by anticipating, mitigating and responding to risks while building public trust.
4. Market Development and Trade: $2 million to assist industry in expanding domestic and international trade opportunities.
5. Science, Research and Innovation: $175 million invested in research and development activities, enhancing the diversification and profitability of agriculture.

In Saskatchewan $485 million will be invested ($89.4 million annually for the five-years of the program) a 25-per-cent increase from the $71.2 million for the previous CAP program.

Under the new agreement, there is a continued focus on agricultural research and increased support for water development.

Producers will see an increased funding cap in the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program, and a larger per acre payment under the Irrigation Development Program.

He says enhancements to FRIP include raising the threshold from 50,000 to $75,000.

"We've also expanded it so now power will qualify up to a $20,000 cap from the province. We've also increased the water storage amount from 2500 to $5,000. And we've also included small dams under a two-and-a-half meter level.

Marit says there's also a chance for farmers and ranchers to access funding through the new Resilient Agriculture Landscape Program (RALP) which focuses on help for water quality, soil health and biodiversity.

He notes there's also a program for value-added processors to leverage dollars to upgrade efficiency within their production plants moving from a $500,000 threshold to $750,000.

An additional $37.8 million will be allocated over the course of the agreement to support national activities delivered by the federal government including the AgriMarketing and AgriAssurance programs.

Producers also have access to an enhanced suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms and are beyond their capacity to manage. 

The federal government says the demand-driven, business risk management programs are estimated to provide $3 billion in support to Saskatchewan farmers over the lifespan of Sustainable CAP.

The new agreement is effective April 1, 2023 and will be in place until March 31, 2028. 

Details on Saskatchewan's Sustainable CAP strategic programs and application forms will be posted on www.saskatchewan.ca in the coming weeks.

To hear Glenda-Lee's conversation with Minister Marit click on the link below.