REGINA — With a change in Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister portfolio, Opposition Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon says he hopes to see a change in the government’s approach to foreign farmland ownership.
Wotherspoon announced Monday he has sent a letter to new Agriculture Minister David Marit urging him to launch a public inquiry into illegal foreign farmland ownership.
At his news conference Monday at the legislature, Wotherspoon publicly called on Marit to “step up and launch" the inquiry so "we can get to the bottom of this ongoing issue once and for all and for this government to be able to act.”
“We need to support our world-class producers that feed the world. We need to support our rural communities. We've heard overwhelming support to crack down on foreign farmland ownership from producers, major ag stakeholders and rural leaders right across Saskatchewan. I have no idea who this government's been listening to, but I can assure you it's not the producers and people of Saskatchewan.”
Wotherspoon pointed to correspondence on Nov. 12 from the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) “urging the need for systemic changes to act against foreign farmland ownership,” he said.
He added the official opposition has “called repeatedly for years for the resources, tools and teeth for the Farm Land Security Board,” and added strict penalties for violating the rules “has to be more than a slap on the wrist.”
Wotherspoon noted the NDP has called for an audit and review of farmland transactions and ownership, and action to force divestiture of land acquired and owned illegally by foreign entities that breached the law and cause the forfeiture of any profit.
He also pointed to the provincial auditor having previously found the board only asked for a statutory declaration of ownership in 50 per cent of land transactions on the limited basis that they were required. He said the board is under-resourced and lacks the teeth to do the job it is supposed to do.
“This government needs to step up and get to the bottom of this issue and quit dismissing the very serious concerns,” Wotherspoon said.
“If Scott Moe and his new minister refuse this inquiry I have to ask what exactly are they hiding? A public inquiry would allow the government to act on illegal foreign farmland ownership and uphold the law, restore confidence, clarify the scale of the issue and guide policy reform as needed. Of course, it would allow this government to finally act against those that have broken the law.”
Marit was named agriculture minister in last week's cabinet changes, replacing Daryl Harrison, who had been in the portfolio since the last election. Marit held the agriculture portfolio prior to the 2024 vote.
In a statement Monday afternoon, the government reiterated much of what former minister Harrison had said earlier this fall on the issue: that protection of Saskatchewan farmland was a priority for the government, and that the government had announced regulatory amendments to “provide added clarity on situations where the board can enforce compliance through penalties.”
The government also again pointed to the formation of a Farm Land Ownership Advisory Committee to consult with industry stakeholders and provide recommendations.
The government also stated the Farm Land Security Board “has implemented all the recommendations from the provincial auditor report regarding the regulation of foreign ownership of Saskatchewan farm land, including requesting statutory declarations for all land transactions. The auditor’s report found that the board’s existing procedures were appropriate and fulfilled its legislative mandate. As indicated in the report, the audit did not find any instances of unauthorized foreign ownership. We will continue working with Saskatchewan producers to ensure protection of multi-generational farms and Canadian ownership of farm land in the province."
The province also urged anyone who knew of any instances of illegal farmland ownership to immediately report it to the board at farmownership@gov.sk.ca.
