Food
Sovereignty

The Problem

Food is becoming more expensive, harder to secure, harder to produce, and no one but Bay Street sees any benefit.

The Promise

The NCP will restore power to the farmer, restore food security to the consumer, and ensure the breadbasket of Canada lives up to its name and promise of feeding its people.

The Plan

The NCP will introduce the following bills:

• The Saskatchewan Agriculture Board Act.
• The Saskatchewan Grocery Corporation Act.
• The Saskatchewan Farmer Right to Repair Act.

These bills will ensure that Saskatchewan is the best place in the world to produce and purchase food.

Saskatchewan will pursue amendments to the CFTA to permit provincial food security measures, and will defend any challenges as necessary exercises of provincial jurisdiction over local agriculture.

The Saskatchewan Agriculture Board:

The Saskatchewan Agriculture Board (SAB) will be mandated to ensure Saskatchewan farmers are in charge of the value chain from seed to sale. It will ensure domestic food security, and that Saskatchewan families are fed by fresh food from Saskatchewan soil.

Farmers may sign up to pay into a voluntary margin insurance program that guarantees a Revenue Risk Management Program (RRMP) based on the Regional Benchmark Cost of Production (RBCP) plus a cost of living margin. SAB RRMP supplements SCIC and AgriStability; it does not replace them, and it is targeted at price/margin risk, not weather or yield loss. The RRMP will be actuarially sound and WTO Green Box compliant. This will act as a backstop against global market fluctuations. If the average market price drops below the RBCP plus the cost of living margin, then SAB pays the difference. Premiums will be cost shared 60/40 between the Province and the Producer.

The SAB will operate voluntary pools for all major commodities, including grains, pulses, and produce. Farmers who commit to a pool before spring of that year will receive an immediate, interest-free, Springtime Advance (STA) of up to 75% of the projected crop value upfront.

SAB programs will include streams for organic, specialty, and direct-market producers, with pooling and insurance options tailored to their distinct market conditions.

To reiterate, the SAB pools are voluntary. Farmers who want to sell directly to export markets can simply not join the pool. This isn't a restriction on trade, it's a choice farmers get to make for themselves.

The STA will be secured against the crop and integrated with the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to cover any weather risks. No more high-interest operating loans. To be clear, the SCIC remains the primary weather and production insurer, while SAB covers pooled marketing, advances, and margin stabilization.

The SAB will create a strategic reserve of essential agricultural inputs and outputs like dry grains to protect against any supply chain shocks.

The SAB operates at-cost. Once the pool is sold, and hedging accounted for, 100% of the net profit is returned to the member farmers as a final dividend.

The SAB will partner with the Saskatchewan Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) to help build a network of regional flour mills, canola crushers, and abattoirs. Gone are the days of shipping wheat across the country to buy back bread. We will do it ourselves.

The SAB will partner with SMC to construct a minimum of six regional abattoirs within five years, ensuring no Saskatchewan producer is more than 200 kilometers from a provincially-inspected processing facility. These facilities will be scaled to handle local demand and will operate under provincial inspection standards harmonized with federal requirements to enable interprovincial sales.

• See Policy 19 - Manufacturing for more.

These domestic processors and SaskGrocery will have the first right to purchase commodities from SAB pools before they are offered to the export market. We feed Saskatchewan first.

To combat unfair grading practices, the SAB will establish an independent Grading Arbitration Office. Any producer delivering to any elevator in Saskatchewan has the right to contest a grade. The SAB’s independent lab will provide a binding grade. If the buyer is found to have unfairly downgraded the grain, they pay the testing costs and a penalty to the farmer.

Farmers are stewards of the land. The SAB will pay a per-acre annual dividend to producers who verify soil-health practices (cover cropping, zero-till, shelter-belts). This rewards farmers for the ecosystem services they often already provide.

The SAB will operate a Bulk Procurement Division, negotiating directly with global manufacturers for fertilizer, fuel, and chemistry for all members of SAB pools. These products will be sold to members of the voluntary SAB pools at wholesale cost plus logistics. No more gouging farmers for input.

The Bulk Procurement Division will prioritize partnerships with Saskatchewan-based suppliers and cooperatives. Direct manufacturer negotiation will be pursued where local suppliers cannot offer competitive terms, with preference given to local distribution networks.

The SAB will acquire an initial fleet of up to 1,000 hopper cars, expanding based on pool participation and logistics needs. Cars will be allocated to pool members at cost, ensuring reliable access to rail capacity during peak shipping periods. The SAB will also invest in strategic networks of Inland Terminals and Value-Add Processing Plants within Saskatchewan. SAB Terminals will prioritize selling grains to SaskGrocery and local processors before exporting raw commodities, keeping the value-add at home.

The SAB Farmland Trust will be established and will have the Right of First Refusal on any farmland being sold in Saskatchewan, excluding transfers to family members.

When farmland is listed for sale, the seller must notify the SAB within 14 days. The SAB, and its Farmland Trust, then has 60 days to match any bona fide offer. Sales to immediate family members such as spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, and other relatives within two degrees of consanguinity, are completely exempt for any Right of First Refusal in the sale of their farmland. The Trust may decline to exercise its right, in which case the sale proceeds normally. Anti-avoidance rules will prevent sham transactions designed to circumvent the Trust's right.

Land acquired by the Trust will be offered as Lease-to-Own agreements only to Saskatchewan residents who commit to farming the land with local ownership, either as an individual or as a co-op. No more Bay Street farms.

The SAB will establish a Young Farmer Entry Program providing low-interest loans, mentorship matching with retiring farmers, and priority access to Trust lands for Saskatchewan residents under 40 entering agriculture.

The SAB will develop partnership agreements with First Nations and Métis communities pursuing food sovereignty initiatives, offering access to SAB programs while respecting Indigenous jurisdiction over on-reserve agriculture. SaskGrocery will prioritize procurement from Indigenous-owned producers and processors where available.

The SAB will maintain a Climate Adaptation Fund to support producers transitioning to drought-resistant varieties, implementing water conservation practices, and adapting to changing growing conditions. This fund will be administered in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan's College of Agriculture.

No sale of any customer, producer, supplier, or consumer data whatsoever.

SaskGrocery:

The Saskatchewan Grocery Corporation (SaskGrocery) will be a new Crown corporation with a mandate of eliminating food deserts, food insecurity, and will operate on a system-wide break-even basis. Higher margins on non-essential items and provincial operating support will offset below-cost pricing on Essential Basket items and geographic parity subsidies. It will ensure the people of Saskatchewan can cheaply and easily get the groceries they need wherever they live.

SaskGrocery will be made of two entities: SaskGrocery Wholesale, and SaskGrocery retail.

SaskGrocery Wholesale aggregates provincial purchasing power to negotiate lower costs for all participating retailers. It will sell to SaskGrocery retail locations AND independent/co-op grocers across the province at the same transparent wholesale price. This breaks the monopoly of private wholesalers.

The Essentials Basket will be sold at a single equalized price in every SaskGrocery location across Saskatchewan. That price will be set using the weighted average landed cost of Essential Basket goods across the SaskGrocery system, plus system-wide logistics and handling costs, plus a modest operating margin of 3%. Additional costs associated with serving remote and northern communities will be covered through geographic parity support and system-wide cross-subsidization, not by charging higher prices to residents of those communities.

So, to be clear, the price of the Essential Basket will be identical in every SaskGrocery location. A litre of milk will cost the same in Stony Rapids as it does in Moose Jaw.

The Essential Basket will be determined by a public advisory committee including nutritionists, consumer advocates, and representatives from low-income communities. The committee will review and adjust the basket annually based on nutritional guidelines and community input.

SaskGrocery Retail will have a network of stores across the province. The initial rollout will prioritize food deserts and underserved communities. Within five years, SaskGrocery aims to operate at least 50 retail locations across the province, with at least 20 in communities currently lacking full-service grocery options.

These stores will come in the following different formats:

• SaskGrocery Super: Full-service centres in major hubs.
• SaskGrocery Market: Mid-size locations for neighbourhoods and towns.
• SaskGrocery Mini: Converted convenience-style footprints for downtowns and food deserts.
• SaskGrocery Mobile: Integrated with the Saskatchewan Transport Corporation to deliver online ordered groceries to secure cold-storage lockers at STC depots.

• See Policy 06 - 21st Century Connected Communities for more.

SaskGrocery is not intended to replace existing grocery cooperatives or independent grocers. SaskGrocery Wholesale will be available to all Saskatchewan-based grocers at the same prices offered to SaskGrocery Retail, enabling local businesses to compete effectively. SaskGrocery Retail will prioritize locations currently underserved by existing grocery options.

For supply-managed commodities (dairy, poultry, eggs), SaskGrocery will work within existing federal frameworks while advocating for reforms that reduce consumer prices without harming producer income stability.

Utilizing the Saskatchewan Transport Corporation (STC), SaskGrocery will implement a "Hub-and-Spoke" food distribution network. The STC will be the main logistics provider for SaskGrocery, delivering food in cold-storage secured buses daily, as well as weekly freight trucks for the bulk of supplies.

Remote communities can order groceries online. STC buses, equipped with cold-storage cargo bays, will deliver orders to secure, climate-controlled lockers at STC depots daily.

• See Policy 06 - 21st Century Connected Communities for more.

All employees must be unionized either by the SGEU or a new local, and must be paid and scheduled in accordance with Policy 09 - Fair Labour. Stores will utilize high-efficiency stocking methods like pallet to floor, and simplified inventories with fewer brands but better prices.

SaskGrocery will operate under a "Zero-Waste" mandate. Edible unsold food is donated to food banks (protected by Good Samaritan liability laws). Non-edible waste is composted for the SAB's soil health programs.

SaskGrocery will publish a monthly Basket Index, showing the average costs of its Essentials Basket compared to private competitors. The list of Essential Basket items will be posted publicly, and reviewed annually to ensure the prices and items meet the needs of Saskatchewan residents.

The Saskatchewan Farmer Right to Repair Act:

Farmers will have the absolute right to diagnose, maintain, and repair their own equipment, or allow third parties to do the same services.

Agricultural equipment manufacturers (OEMs) selling in Saskatchewan must provide farmers and independent repair shops with access to diagnostic software, repair parts, service manuals, the ability to reset immobilizers or digital locks after a repair, and calibration tools on fair and reasonable terms. Manufacturers may not delay parts delivery in order to force a dealer repair.

Access must be provided on Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms. This means no subscription or other such fees for diagnostic tools that exceed the cost of providing the tool.

Any contractual term or EULA (End User License Agreement) that claims the manufacturer retains ownership of the software inside a tractor purchased by a farmer is void and unenforceable in Saskatchewan.

No manufacturer may void a warranty solely because the owner or an independent technician performed diagnosis, maintenance, or repair, unless the manufacturer can demonstrate that the specific repair caused the failure being claimed under warranty.

Non-compliance will result in significant daily fines. The Province reserves the right to block non-compliant manufacturers from public procurement contracts. Fees may include a fine of up to $25,000 per day per model.

The Minister may ban the sale of non-compliant equipment within Saskatchewan if the manufacturer refuses to cooperate.

The Funding

Operating funding will come from the General Revenue Fund. Capital investments in processing facilities, hopper cars, and terminals will be funded through SaskBonds.

What It Means For You

It means farmers get the respect and help they deserve.

It means a grocery store that doesn't cheat you.

It means the dignity of feeding your family.

FAQ

• What is the Saskatchewan Agriculture Board?
• The SAB is a new body mandated to ensure farmers control the value chain from seed to sale. It offers voluntary pools, margin insurance, springtime advances, bulk procurement, independent grading, and farmland protection.


• Is the SAB mandatory for farmers?
• No. The SAB pools and programs are entirely voluntary. Farmers who want to sell directly to export markets can simply not join. It is a choice farmers make for themselves.


• What is the Springtime Advance?
• Farmers who commit to a pool before spring receive an immediate, interest-free advance of up to 75% of their projected crop value. No more high-interest operating loans.


• What is SaskGrocery?
• A new Crown corporation with a mandate to eliminate food deserts and food insecurity. It operates wholesale and retail grocery stores across the province on a system-wide break-even basis.


• Will the Essentials Basket be the same price everywhere?
• Yes. A litre of milk will cost the same in Stony Rapids as it does in Moose Jaw. Geographic price parity is a core principle.


• What is the Farmer Right to Repair?
• Farmers will have the absolute right to diagnose, maintain, and repair their own equipment. Manufacturers must provide access to diagnostic software, parts, manuals, and calibration tools on fair terms. Warranties cannot be voided for self-repair.


• What is the SAB Farmland Trust?
• It has the Right of First Refusal on any farmland being sold in Saskatchewan, except family transfers. Land acquired by the Trust is offered as Lease-to-Own agreements only to Saskatchewan residents who commit to farming it.


• How does SaskGrocery get food to remote communities?
• Through the Saskatchewan Transport Company. Buses with cold storage deliver groceries daily, and secure cold storage lockers at STC depots allow 24/7 pickup for online orders.