Sask. agricultural workers, politicians in Regina weigh in on increasing gas prices

Producers and industry leaders gathered in Regina for Canada’s Farm Show to explore the future of agriculture. Damian Smith reports.

Canada’s Farm Show in Regina kicked off at the REAL District on Tuesday, an opportunity for producers and industry leaders to come together to explore the future of agriculture.

Rising fuel prices were on people’s minds on day one of the event.

Fuel prices can be concerning for businesses such as AFAB Industries Inc., who travel to British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba to construct post frame buildings.

“This summer, we’d like to just hit some hot spots and spend a couple weeks in each area,” said Justin Hawkins, who works in outside sales. “We plan on spending a tremendous amount of time on the road this year, so there is some consideration with the fuel.”

For Bushel Plus, they’re selling products to help producers save on gas. Their big sell was concaves, which are curved metal grates used to thresh and separate crops during harvest.

“Our whole method is to help the farmer optimize the machine,” said Brad Grass, the technical sales manager for Saskatchewan. “For us, we’re trying to optimize their combine. One of the ways we do that is by putting the concaves in there, they help the farmer using less horsepower in his machine, which is going to then have less fuel consumption.”

Meanwhile, the provincial NDP is calling on the province to remove the 15 percent fuel tax.

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“This is something that the government can do to show people that they understand how hard they’re struggling and can show people that they’re willing to give them a break,” said NDP Leader Carla Beck.

While Premier Scott Moe wouldn’t commit to cutting the tax, he did hint that other affordability measures are coming in Wednesday’s budget.

“Governments of all levels are doing all they can do to ensure that whether it’s Regina or whether it’s any community in Saskatchewan, that it remains the most affordable community,” he said. “That being said, for geopolitical reasons and essentially the war in Iran, and the American involvement, we’re seeing a significant increase in the price of oil, which we are going to notice at the fuel pumps.”

For Hawkins, he’s not sold on cutting the gas tax either.

“If there is a reduction, which I think affects our business tremendously, it would be a temporary measure,” he said. “But in the long term, I think, our roads and infrastructure are falling apart in some areas as it is. I think, temporarily it would be a good thing, but perhaps not long term.”

Presented by Bunge, the event features more than 300 exhibits on the tradeshow floor, showcasing the newest farm equipment, crop inputs, ag-tech, and services made to help producers get ready for the growing season, according to organizers.

Canada’s Farm Show is scheduled to continue until Thursday.