Canada & Saskatchewan reaffirm support for crop insurance as farmers face challenges

After tough seasons and drought-hit fields, crop insurance payouts are helping farmers stay afloat this spring. Fruzsina De Cloedt reports.

The federal and provincial governments announced they will be continuing support for the crop insurance program.

“This year marks 65 years of Saskatchewan crop insurance supporting Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers with business risk management programs tailored to their needs,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said during a press event in Melville on Friday.

Marit said coverage and premiums are tailored to each operation.

“Coverage reflects each producer’s own production records, while premiums reflect their claims history,” he said.

Jeff Morrow, president of the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC), highlighted how payouts have grown with recent program changes.

“In the last five years through SCIC, about $8 billion has been paid out. If you think about some of the areas that were challenged in 2025, if we look at those areas, about $1.8 billion has been paid to those areas,” Morrow said.

He added that participation in the program has also increased over the last ten years from 75 per cent to 85 per cent.

However, some farmers say crop insurance is becoming expensive.

“The insurance is there, but it is getting very costly. Just for some of the regions that have been suffering in the last five or six years,” said Yorkton-based agronomist Wade McNeil.

Drought conditions remain a concern, particularly in the province’s southwest.

“With a lot of the snowfall melted and gone, the ground is quite barreled in other regions. I know that south-east Saskatchewan is bare just from all the warm temperatures we had, and I know the south-west is completely bare as well too,” he said.

SCIC says the program’s yield cushioning feature helps producers facing consecutive poor years.

“We will cushion the yield to 70 per cent. And for every year thereafter, the yield will remain 70 per cent of what we previously offered,” Morrow said. “It keeps the coverage more stable or relevant for producers that have faced back-to-back challenges.”

Marit did not disclose this year’s provincial contribution to the program.

“I don’t want to get ahead of our budget being announced on the 18th of March. That’s when those numbers will come out, our dollar value that we will have [going] into the crop insurance budget,” he said.

The deadline for Saskatchewan producers to apply, reinstate, cancel or make changes to their crop insurance contracts is March 31, 2026.