Governments maintain crop insurance support, add satellite forage coverage

By Ian MacKay

The federal and provincial governments will continue to help pay for crop insurance, officials said on Friday.

The only change to the program this year is the addition of satellite forage insurance, announced previously “as a localized, responsive and accurate approach to managing forage risk,” a Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation statement said.

“These programs continue to evolve to ensure coverage accurately reflects local conditions and give producers the tools they need to make on-going business decisions,” said Heath MacDonald, the federal agriculture minister.

“Reliable coverage not only strengthens individual operations but also contributes to the long-term economic growth of Saskatchewan's agriculture sector,” added David Marit, his Saskatchewan counterpart.

Producers have until March 31 to review their options “and select coverage that best supports your operation,” Marit said.

Unless producers want to change their contracts, last year's coverage continues for 2026, the statement said. Those who want to apply, reinstate, cancel or change their contracts should do so by March 31.

Saskatchewan farmers bought coverage on over 85 per cent of the land they seeded in 2025, the statement said.

“Embracing technology that better captures real-world conditions is a meaningful step toward addressing the accuracy concerns of livestock producers,” Bill Prybylski, president of the Agricultural Producer Association of Saskatchewan, said about the satellite forage program.

“We strongly encourage all farmers and ranchers to review their coverage ahead of the March 31 deadline to ensure their operations are protected against the challenges of weather and market volatility,” Prybylski added.