Saskatchewan farm groups are calling on the federal government to establish a national grain export sales reporting system, a move they say could generate more than $56 million in annual returns for Canadian grain farmers through improved market transparency and decision-making.
In a joint release Tuesday, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and SaskCrops said producers here are at a significant information disadvantage compared to competitors in the US and European Union, where export sales reporting systems are already in place. Those systems provide farmers with timely, destination-specific data on grain sales, enabling better market forecasting and pricing decisions, the release said.
A study commissioned by the farm groups and undertaken by Winnipeg-based Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. found that closing the information gap, could generate returns of up to $56.6 million annually for Canadian grain farmers.
“Enhanced data transparency would improve demand forecasting, operational planning and logistical efficiency for grain companies, processors and transportation providers, making Canada’s grain supply chain more resilient and making us a more reliable trading partner,” the release said.
Bill Prybylski, president of APAS, said the benefits of such a program would extend well beyond the farm gate.
“The gains from an export sales reporting program are likely to be experienced throughout the entire grain supply chain,” he said. “The data can be used to make better planning and resource allocation decisions, improving responsiveness and promoting productivity gains from producers to exporters.”
Under the proposed system, the federal government would publish regular updates on large and cumulative export sales of major grains to specific global destinations —mirroring the USDA’s long-standing weekly reports.
Although now impacted by the still-ongoing US government shutdown, the USDA’s Weekly Export Sales report tracks new sales commitments before shipment, providing a look at future demand, while the Weekly Export Inspections report measures physical shipments that have actually left the country in a given week.
The farm groups contend better access to export sales data would allow farmers to optimize marketing strategies, better time sales, manage storage, and assess both local and international demand trends.
SaskCrops consists of SaskBarley, SaskOats, SaskOilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Sask Wheat. APAS and SaskCrops together represent 24,000 Saskatchewan farmers.
