WHY IT MATTERS: More than 80 per cent of pulses exported from Canada to India are grown in Saskatchewan.

The Canada-India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence would be built at the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management in Kundli, 40 kilometres north of New Delhi, said the Saskatchewan government in a March 3 news release.

The proposed centre would focus on the advancement of pulse protein processing and the development of fortified foods. It would also strengthen the relationship and support economic growth between the two countries, as well as improve global nutrition, reduce environmental impacts and advance sustainable agriculture.

Both the U of S and NIFTEM were named by their respective federal governments to be the co-chairs of the facility.

“The University of Saskatchewan has a strong history of developing agricultural innovations that have real world impact,” said Baljit Singh, the U of S’s research vice-president.

“We are committed to addressing the global demand for plant-based proteins and applying our world-class researchers, labs and infrastructure to address these needs. We look forward to working alongside our partners in India and the Government of Saskatchewan to create sustainable solutions.”

The pulse protein centre was announced during a trade mission to India by Canadian officials, including Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe.

“Our province is essential for global food security,” Moe said.

“This announcement represents an opportunity to bring Saskatchewan’s expertise and ingenuity in pulse production to the people of India. By working together, we will accelerate innovation, expand processing capabilities, and help meet growing demand for affordable, high quality, sustainably grown foods.”

More than 80 per cent of all pulses exported from Canada to India are grown in Saskatchewan, primarily lentils, chickpeas and yellow peas.

“The Centre of Excellence underscores the long-term partnership between Saskatchewan and India in pulses,” Saskatchewan Pulse (SaskPulse) Growers chair Stuart Lawrence said.

“This collaboration between academia and government can help ensure more pulses are included in large-scale food applications and enhance the role pulses play in delivering nutritional security for the benefit of Indian consumers and Saskatchewan farmers.”

Saskatchewan has exported more than $18 billion worth of goods to India since 2007. The province opened a trade and investment office in New Delhi in 2021, one of nine worldwide.

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The Saskatchewan trip from Feb. 28 to March 6 has been planned for nearly a year to coincide with the annual Raisina Dialogue, a conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics where Moe will speak.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is also traveling to India next week for a couple of days to meet with prime minister Narendra Modi on free trade talks and drum up investment partnerships. Moe and New Brunswick premier Susan Holt will join him for meetings before Carney moves on to Australia and Japan.

WHY IT MATTERS: The Canadian and provincial governments continue to look to expand trade opportunities amid ongoing tariff threats from U.S. president Donald Trump. Canadian pulse growers currently face 30 per cent import duties on yellow peas into India, as well as 10 per cent tariffs on lentils as India protects its own farmers.

Moe told reporters Feb. 25 he hoped to address the agricultural tariffs, particularly because India could raise the lentil tariff to 30 per cent as of April 1.

“The hope today is to not have them increased,” he said.

“We’ll be engaging on that topic.”

However, he isn’t necessarily expecting movement as a result of this trip. He said that will take more negotiation and missions similar to what happened in China with regard to canola tariffs.

Moe said he hopes Carney and Modi will agree to reinvigorate discussion around the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which stalled several years ago.

That would be a positive step for Saskatchewan, which has exported $18 billion worth of products to India since 2007. In 2025, those exports totalled $1.4 billion.

Asked why Carney would again ask him to join a trade mission, as he did in China, Moe said it’s likely because Saskatchewan has been doing positive work in the market, as evidenced by the trade statistics.

The province is one of the most trade-diversified, selling into 160 countries, and Moe said that’s due to hard work and building relationships.

“I think there’s a recognition by the prime minister that we can be helpful in this space,” the premier said.

“We’re happy to see that we have a prime minister that is willing to look at the economic agreements that we have with these countries, and I think we have a role to play in supporting, advancing, those opportunities. We’ve been waiting some time to have somebody in the room that’s willing to sign a trade agreement with countries like India.”

Saskatchewan provincial budget

Meanwhile, Moe signaled this week that the provincial budget to be delivered next month will have a deficit but no tax increases. He said other provinces have also tabled deficit budgets, and he urged people to compare the deficit per capita once Saskatchewan has introduced its fiscal plan.

“There are revenue challenges due to the trade uncertainty, market uncertainty around the world,” he said.

“We experienced pretty significant agricultural tariffs in our second largest market being China, and that starts to show up, definitely on the revenue line, at the farmgate and at the provincial government level.”

However, he said the Saskatchewan economy is resilient, at least in part because it is so diversified and not dependent on a single commodity or a single market.

The opposition NDP said it didn’t trust the government to provide the province’s full financial picture.

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He was happy with the outcome.

“Today’s trade deal to significantly reduce Chinese tariffs on canola and other Canadian products is very good news for Canada and Saskatchewan. This deal is a very positive signal that will restore existing trade volumes and open avenues for further opportunities for Canadians,” he said in a statement.

In an interview from Beijing on CBC Saskatchewan radio, Moe said the trade world is increasingly uncertain, and Carney’s engagement with China has alleviated some of the challenges Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector faces.

He credited federal ministers and officials for tackling the job.

“If you asked me two years ago if I’d be sitting beside the prime minister at any meeting, I’m not sure I would have taken you seriously,” he said in response to a question from Adam Hunter.

“However, we see a new approach by Prime Minister Carney.”

Moe also said the agreement with China shows the importance of working together and what foreign trade missions can achieve.

Opposition praises progress

Saskatchewan NDP opposition leader Carla Beck said she was glad to see much-needed progress.

“Producers across this province have had far too many sleepless nights as one of our largest trading partners aggressively tariffed one of our largest exports,” she said.

“I want to thank our producers and industry leaders who have not given up the fight for fair market access and will continue to advocate for a complete reversal of all tariffs — the only solution to tariffs is no tariffs.

“Our world-class producers deserve to get back to doing what they do best — feeding the world.”

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The tariffs, proposed by U.S. President-elect Trump have left many in Canadian agriculture worried and uncertain about the economic fallout.

Trudeau said Wednesday that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to Canada’s response to the tariffs following the First Ministers’ meeting in Ottawa. He said this could include a dollar-for-dollar response.

Trudeau also said he believed there is precedent for Canada presenting a united effort when facing trade challenges.

“The experience Canada had in renegotiating NAFTA in the first Trump administration demonstrated that when we stand together united, promoting Canada’s interests, we can do very well,” the Prime Minister said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Canada will need to have a strong response ready in the days following Trump’s inauguration.

“Things are going to change in a week when the inauguration happens of President Trump, and if he moves forward with these tariffs,” Ford said.

“The retaliatory tariffs need to be harder. We have to send a message when someone comes up and tries to destroy our economy, it will be devastating for Canadians, and that’s why it’s so important.”

“We’ve been through this before,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, “maybe not as large and broad as what is being talked about now, but we have been through this before.”

Moe said it will be important for all North Americans to recognize the threats tariffs pose to food security in both Canada and the U.S. “That value is added on both sides of the border. And we need to double down on our efforts in engaging on those fronts.”

Not in attendance at the First Ministers’ meeting was Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said in a statement on social media she would not support the federal government’s tariff plan.

“Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products,” Smith said via the post. “We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies.”

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The party, which won 32 seats, has held power in Saskatchewan since 2007. The opposition New Democratic Party under leader Carla Beck won 22, with seven unclear.

Moe’s victory is expected to continue his government’s promotion of the province’s prodigious agriculture, minerals and energies industries, which have all expanded in recent years.

Saskatchewan has more than 40 per cent of Canada’s cropland, is the world’s second or third largest uranium producer depending on the year, is Canada’s second-largest crude oil producer, and is the globe’s largest producer and exporter of potash.

North America’s first commercial-scale rare earths refinery went into production in 2024 in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan is home to the headquarters of fertilizer producer Nutrien and uranium miner Cameco Corp.

Moe’s victory is likely to continue the headaches for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government has repeatedly clashed with the Saskatchewan government on a number of issues.

The election centered on healthcare, education and affordability. Moe introduced the issue of transgender changing room access in schools, saying he would require children to use only facilities dedicated to their sex at birth, and make that his government’s “first order of business.” Beck described Moe’s move as “the most ugly kind of politics.”

The incumbent premier also won British Columbia’s election on Monday evening, after the NDP earned just enough seats to form a majority government more than a week after voting took place.

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David Marit, the MLA for the southwestern riding of Wood River since 2016, was named Wednesday by Premier Scott Moe to pick up the ag portfolio from Lyle Stewart.

Stewart, the MLA for the south-central riding of Lumsden-Morse, announced last week he would step down from the ag minister’s post he’d held since 2012 as he undergoes “aggressive” treatment for colorectal cancer.

Marit, who with his brother runs a grain and oilseed operation at Fife Lake, about 150 km south of Moose Jaw, was previously best known in the province as the president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) from 2006 to 2014.

Marit, who during his SARM stint also served on the boards of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and economic development agency Enterprise Saskatchewan, had been elected to council in the RM of Willow Bunch in 1993 and joined the SARM board in 1999.

After entering provincial politics, Marit was appointed highways minister in August 2016 and would also later handle the SaskBuilds portfolio. SaskBuilds was set up as a Crown corporation in 2012 to review procurement options, with a focus on larger-scale infrastructure projects.

Lori Carr, the MLA for Estevan since 2016, was named Wednesday to replace Marit as highways minister. The SaskBuilds file goes to Education Minister and Deputy Premier Gordon Wyant.

“I am confident that both Dave and Lori will bring an important perspective to their new portfolios,” Moe said in a release.

Stewart, Moe said, “will remain a strong mentor and advisor to our cabinet when it comes to supporting our agriculture sector while we stand with him in his battle against cancer.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Lyle Stewart announced Thursday he will remain as ag minister until Premier Scott Moe names a new minister, a decision to be announced sometime this week.

“I was recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer and will be undergoing several months of pretty aggressive treatment,” Stewart said in a release Thursday.

Stewart said he will remain with the Saskatchewan Party caucus as the MLA for the Moose Jaw-area riding of Lumsden-Morse, but given his “current circumstances” he asked Moe to name a new ag minister.

“First and foremost, Lyle Stewart is my friend, so the most important thing is for him to deal with his cancer,” Moe said in Thursday’s release. “Everything else is secondary.”

Stewart, who farms and ranches with his family near Pense, Sask., about 25 km west of Regina, entered provincial politics in 1999 as the MLA for what was then Thunder Creek, and has since been re-elected four times.

He served stints as interim opposition leader and agriculture critic before the party formed government in 2007, and served as minister for enterprise and innovation before then-premier Brad Wall named him to the ag portfolio in 2012. He previously underwent treatment for prostate cancer in 2014.

Producer groups were among Stewart’s well-wishers Thursday, including the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, praising his “close working relationship, excellent leadership and commitment to agriculture” and the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, lauding his “passionate work on the ag file.”

Provincial NDP leader Ryan Meili, writing Thursday on Twitter, thanked Stewart “for his diligent work as minister of agriculture and extend(ed) my best wishes to him and his family during this difficult time.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Premier Scott Moe on Monday announced the exemption will take effect retroactive to Aug. 1 last year, when the PST was first applied to insurance.

The province said the exemption will include PST on premiums paid for crop, livestock and hail insurance, individual and group life and health insurance and disability, accident and sickness insurance.

The provincial finance ministry said Monday it will work with the insurance industry to sort out by April 10 how it will refund PST paid on insurance premiums to date.

The PST exemption for insurance premiums was one of several removed by then-finance minister Kevin Doherty in his budget last March, when the PST was hiked to six per cent. The tax on insurance premiums had originally been booked to take effect July 1 but was later delayed a month.

In the lead-up to the Saskatchewan Party’s convention last month where he was picked to replace Premier Brad Wall, Moe and three of the other four candidates had pledged to reverse the tax on insurance premiums.

“We already have evidence from crop insurance, for instance, that the number of insured acres has slightly decreased,” Moe had said before the convention, in response to a candidate survey by the Financial Advisors Association of Canada. “This is likely the case for other insurance products as well.”

Removing the tax on insurance premiums is expected to cost the province $65 million in 2017-18 revenue, and $120 million for 2018-19, the government said Monday.

Moe said Monday those costs can be accommodated in the government’s three-year plan to balance the budget by 2019-20.

PST was also placed on previously exempt sectors such as construction and renovation services, restaurant meals, snack foods and children’s clothing in last year’s budget. The sales tax remains in effect on those goods and services.

“Even today, as he flip-flops on some of those unfair tax cuts, he is standing by others that are costing jobs and raising the price of everything from kids’ clothes, and food and drinks to home insurance,” Cathy Sproule, finance critic for the opposition New Democrats, said in a separate release Monday.

Saskatchewan has booked a decrease of $2.4 million in food and beverage sales compared to this time last year, while every other province experienced growth, the NDP said. — AGCanada.com Network

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Premier Brad Wall on Tuesday named Warren Kaeding, the MLA for Melville-Saltcoats since April, as legislative secretary to the minister of agriculture, for irrigation expansion.

Kaeding was previously a business development rep for canola producer financing firm Input Capital and served as executive director for the Saskatchewan Farm Stewardship Association. He also ran Wagon Wheel Seed Corp. for 25 years, until 2011, and worked as a territory manager for Hoechst for 10 years, until 1996.

Kaeding’s appointment, one of eight new legislative secretary posts, comes as part of a shuffle of Wall’s cabinet, although Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart and three other ministers keep their current portfolios.

Among other portfolios of interest to farmers, Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA Scott Moe becomes environment minister and minister responsible for SaskWater and the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, a portfolio he previously handled for about a year in 2014-15.

In those portfolios, Moe replaces Battlefords MLA Herb Cox, who announced Aug. 12 he had asked to leave cabinet in this shuffle, as he begins stem cell treatment for cancer. Cox will continue in his role as MLA.

Carrot River Valley MLA Fred Bradshaw was named Tuesday serve as a legislative secretary to Moe, with responsibility for forestry and wildfire management.

Wall’s shuffle cuts the size of his cabinet by one member to 17 ministers, a move he said will save taxpayers about $450,000 a year.

Legislative secretaries serve as assistants to ministers, often on specific files. While Saskatchewan cabinet ministers receive additional allowances of $48,969 per year, on top of their basic MLA indemnity of $96,183, secretaries’ additional allowances run at $14,311 per year. — AGCanada.com Network

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