One resolution calls for the groups to lobby governments to have Saskatchewan farmers recognized and rewarded for their efforts regarding
carbon sequestration.

Miles Heck farms in the Sceptre area and was one of the farmers who worked on the resolutions. 

He presented the resolution at the SaskCanola and SaskBarley meetings.

The price of carbon right now is $30 per metric tonne, by 2022 it's supposed to be $50 and is expected to hit $170 by 2030.

"As farmers if we are to be recognized as carbon sequesters it's way easier for us to get recognized when carbon is priced at $30 pmt than at $170. All of our minimum til and zero til practices that we have implemented now have all been studied since 1996 to 2018 in the Soils Association, and they had Federal Ag Scientists studying this as well. The amount of carbon that we sequester in our soils on average in Saskatchewan is .38 metric tonnes per acre. So it's a substantial amount and we as farmers feel we should be compensated for doing a good job."

He says it's very frustrating since government is quick to tax producers on their inputs, but not to recognize them for what they are doing.

The resolution was also passed at the Sask Wheat, Sask Flax, and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers AGM's.

The other resolution that was also passed at all five commission meetings focused on having a mandatory national reporting of export sales similar to the export volume reporting requirements in the U.S.

Heck says it's extremely important that we recognize how much of our product is being sold overseas, in the United States anybody that exports over 100,000 bushels has to report their sales to the USDA.

"Right now, in the United States farmers, stock traders, exporters, purchasers overseas all have access to the same information. In Canada the only people that know that information are a select few. The farmers are in the dark again, the exporters know it but the people purchasing overseas do not know anything as well. So it's not a clear indication, and it's not a clear price signal as to what's going on."

He says the market conditions would be better reflected if we had some sort of reporting program in place.

Both resolutions were passed at five of the six meetings - a requirement for a 30-day notice for resolutions prevented the resolutions from coming before the Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission.

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