About 40,000 farmland transactions take place in Saskatchewan each year, and while non-Canadians are prohibited from buying farms, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) says it is hearing reports that it is happening. President of APAS Bill Prybylski says the current system can make it difficult to know who really owns farmland. “On the RM map, it gives us an indication of who owns those lands, but quite often it’s just a numbered company and nobody seems to know exactly who is owning it,” he said. The warnings echo concerns raised by the Saskatchewan NDP in the legislature in recent weeks, who have been criticizing the provincial government for dismissing opposition concerns. “It’s one thing for that government, that minister, to be dismissive of the opposition, but it’s another thing to be dismissive of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan,” NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon said during question period on Thursday. “The producers of this province, now of course they sent a letter to that minister yesterday, but I don’t think he read it. I don’t think he got the message,” A recent provincial auditor’s report found the Farmland Security Board did not request statutory ownership declarations for 50 per cent of farmland purchases tested that were made by corporations not registered in Saskatchewan. Since 2020, five orders have been issued to sell farmland purchased inappropriately by foreigners. Daryl Harrison, Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture, said anyone with evidence of illegal purchases should bring it forward. “If the president of APAS or from SARM have evidence or the member opposite has evidence, please bring it forward to the Farmland Security Board. Let them do their job,” Harrison said during question period on Thursday. APAS says farmers want more reassurance that the government is carefully monitoring farmland transactions. The group suggests that could be achieved through regular reporting of the number of transactions reviewed and any violations found.
