Sask. producers share tariff concerns at Crop Production Show

Leaders in the agriculture industry have gathered in Saskatoon, and concerns regarding international trade are looming. Hallee Mandryk has more.

As industry leaders gather in Saskatoon for the 43rd annual Western Canadian Crop Production Show, the topic of tariffs weighs heavy on the minds of many.

“We’re cautious and we’re optimistic that there’ll be some sort of a way forward. I don’t know when that’s going to happen, but we do anticipate that at some point those tariffs will go away, the sooner the better,” Harley Bell told CTV News. Bell serves as the vice president of the crop import division at BrettYoung Seeds.

On Monday, it was revealed that Premier Scott Moe will be accompanying Prime Minister Mark Carney on his first official trip to China.

Many at the conference expressed hope that Saskatchewan will have a seat at the table in discussions on international trade, especially when it comes to the heavy tariffs levied against several Saskatchewan exports, including canola.

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“My optimism would probably be on the higher end now that there’s going to be some resolve, if not immediate, probably in the very near future. I would have to think for the Prime Minister to be going that they probably think that there’s some end to this,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said.

The topic is timely for many who attended Tuesday’s conference. As producers plan for seeding this spring, many are still uncertain regarding last year’s crop. Bell shared that 2025 was a strong season for producers, but the uncertain economic situation has not yielded the return many farmers were hoping for.

“Unfortunately, a lot of it’s still in the bins. The sooner the better. Obviously, they’re going to want to market that crop and get some cash in hand, both to pay bills, but also, there’s a crop to plan for [in] 2026,” Bell said.

As seeding season draws near, the pressure to have tariffs lifted increases.

Marit added that the trip to China will play a large role in the decisions made by producers this spring.

“It’s obviously something we really do need,” Marit said. “It’s going to have an impact on a lot of the crush side. It’s going to have an impact obviously, on the market, and it’ll also have an impact on what farmers decide to put in the ground as well.”