Farmscape for November 14, 2005  (Episode 1965)

Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister is convinced expanded value added processing holds the key to the province's long term prosperity.

Agriculture Minister Mark Wartman insists Saskatchewan can no longer continue to export its primary agricultural products out of the country.

He says his province is committed to the expansion of value added processing in the province's livestock industry.

Clip-Mark Wartman-Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister

Over the years ahead of us, and we're looking in the neighborhood of ten to 20 years, we would like to see multiples of six to ten times in terms of growth of our livestock production and in terms of what we can process we want to see the expansion be commensurate with the growth of our livestock industry and we want to take back some of that slaughter that's been happening in other places.

We've seen over the many years, we have been an exporter of primary product of commodities and as the world changes we're seeing many many more nations come on board in terms of their ability to export commodity and it has led to a significant decrease in world prices and that always has a very negative impact on us.

We do grow quality grains, a quality that others can not compare to but in the world market with world price, with the value of our dollar it makes us more vulnerable.

As we move up the value chain, it enables us to be more successful overall as an industry.

We think that the investments that we and industry players are making really will have the long term payoff and provide stability and certainly will bring value and prosperity into the province.

Wartman suggests trade disruptions resulting from BSE in the cattle industry and the US trade challenges in the hog industry underscore the need for Saskatchewan to reduce its reliance on the US market.

He maintains Saskatchewan has great potential in terms of adding value to products before they are exported.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

-Mark Wartman addressed Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2005 in Saskatoon.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council