Letter to the Editor: Illegal foreign ownership of farmland

As Minister of Agriculture, a landowner and cow-calf producer, I personally appreciate concerns surrounding illegal foreign ownership of farmland in Saskatchewan. Ensuring there is no unauthorized foreign land ownership is a top priority for me and the public should be assured the Government of Saskatchewan is committed to protecting Saskatchewan farmland.

Through The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act, the Farm Land Security Board monitors 40,000 farmland sale transactions annually in the province to ensure purchases are by either a Canadian or Canadian resident. It can issue exemption orders for non-Canadian-owned entities, typically when in the province’s best interest. For example, many agribusinesses in Saskatchewan require an exemption. While the legislation provides enforcement tools regarding entities not in compliance, we are exploring options to enhance them.

As stated in the recent Auditor’s report, no illegal ownership was found in all sale transactions sampled. While the Auditor found that Board staff did not request statutory declarations in nine of the 18 out-of-province corporate transactions, each of the nine instances the purchasing corporation was Canadian. Most often these are family corporations and, where this was unclear, a declaration was requested. While declarations may not be mandatory given the numerous tools available to the Board, the Board is now requesting declarations from all out-of-province purchasers. Most of the Auditor’s 10 recommendations were already a priority for the Board and implementation has begun. 

If you have information about a foreign land ownership concern in Saskatchewan, please reach out to inquiries.ag@gov.sk.ca or 306-787-5047.

Sincerely, 
Minister of Agriculture Daryl Harrison