Farmers call for trade relief and stronger support as tariffs, drought and low prices hit agriculture hard

Canadian farmers are urging the federal government to deliver stronger, more targeted support in the upcoming budget as they struggle with trade tensions, prolonged drought, and falling commodity prices.

Canola producers in particular say the best relief Ottawa could offer would be a deal to end China’s steep tariffs on Canadian canola products. China imposed a 100 per cent tariff on canola oil and meal in March and a 75.8 per cent tariff on canola seed in August, effectively shutting down one of Canada’s most important export markets.

Saskatchewan producer Dean Roberts, who chairs Sask Oilseeds, said government measures announced earlier this year — including $370 million for biofuel incentives, $75 million for promoting Canadian agri-food abroad, and temporary increases to interest-free farm loans — are welcome but insufficient.

Canola makes up a quarter of Roberts’ crops, and he’s now reconsidering how much to plant next year, warning that shifting away from canola could disrupt soil health and long-term crop rotation.

Industry data show that Canada exported $4.9 billion worth of canola products to China in 2024, and the sector contributed $43 billion to the national economy last year. Sask Oilseeds executive director Tracy Broughton said the government must work to reopen Chinese markets while also diversifying exports.

Meanwhile, other Prairie farmers are also facing hardship. Tyson Jacksteit, who grows lentils, wheat, and durum in southwest Saskatchewan, said drought has crippled crops for nine straight years, and this year was “probably the worst.”

With crop insurance payouts shrinking after repeated claims and prices for peas, wheat, and durum plummeting, Jacksteit said many farmers will suffer heavy losses.

He wants the federal and provincial governments to reform crop insurance programs so that farmers facing repeated drought years can at least recover production costs when crops fail.

Across the Prairies, producers say they need more than short-term aid — they need policy changes and trade stability to keep Canadian agriculture viable in the face of escalating global pressures.