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Farmers deserve our support and thanks

Weyburn This Week editorial

Agriculture remains as a major part of Saskatchewan’s economy, and in turn of Canada’s economy, as this province is rightfully known as the “breadbasket of the world”, feeding Canadians and many countries around the world.

Saskatchewan has two-fifths, or 46.8 per cent, of Canada’s field crop acreage, more than Alberta and Manitoba combined, and canola and spring wheat are the two largest crops produced here, along with lentils, which more than doubled in production from 2011 to 2016, the last year a federal census was taken.

There are fewer farms in Saskatchewan now, but the average size of farms has increased by seven per cent.

In terms of livestock, Saskatchewan is the second largest beef producer in Canada with 2.6 million head as of the 2016 census, and is the fifth largest hog producing province.

In economic terms, primary agriculture comprises 9.7 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product, or 13.5 per cent when accounting for input and service providers to the farming industry, along with food retailers and wholesale industries.

This doesn’t even account for all the businesses that depend on farmers to do well that aren’t directly related to the agriculture industry, such as car dealerships, restaurants, furniture and electronic retailers, and so on.

In other words, the local economy is directly tied into the farm community in a major way, and the farm community in this province has a major impact on not only feeding Canadians, but supplying food of all kinds to other countries, like beef, pork, wheat, canola and lentils, just for a few examples.

Urban residents and neighbours may not necessarily understand the significance of all these numbers, but they should understand there is a real impact on the economy when farmers do well, or when they are struggling.

The current struggle, of course, is the 2019 harvest, which has been starting and stopping a lot with rainfall, and even reports of possible snow coming. Even if it falls and melts right away, the moisture is not going to do the crops any good whatsoever.

The fields, pastures and hay land had been in need of moisture earlier this year, but that situation has largely been taken care of now — the big need right now is for the weather to cooperate long enough for the harvest to get finished up.

Less than half of the harvest is done, and the end of September is fast approaching, which is not a good situation as some farmers are done or close to done by this time of the year. We need to be supportive of our farmers, and understanding of their situation — and we need to thank them for all their hard work.