Training Needs Assessment Under Way For The Saskatchewan Organic Industry

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD) has received funding from Saskatchewan Learning’s Sector Partnerships Program to carry out a training needs assessment study of the Saskatchewan organic sector, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Agri-Business Development Specialist Don Perrault.

“The organic sector in Saskatchewan is growing rapidly and encompasses approximately 1,200 producers in all areas of the province," he says. "Saskatchewan is a leader in the organic sector in Canada. Based on an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) survey conducted in 2003, about one-third of all Canadian organic producers are located in Saskatchewan. Fifty-eight per cent of all land in organic production in Canada is in Saskatchewan."

Perrault believes organic production presents an excellent growth opportunity for this province.

“This is due to our abundance of agricultural land and our reputation for a clean environment. The markets for organic food are strong, and are growing at 15 to 20 per cent per year. It is also one of the sectors in agriculture that continues to be profitable.”

For this reason, SAF has identified organic farming as an opportunity area.

“We have a good toehold in this industry. We need to motivate producers to take advantage of the opportunities in this market."

Education and training are critical elements in expanding any new sector of the economy, Perrault explains.

“We hope that the training needs assessment will provide insight into the needs of the organic industry and the appropriate learning models which will help propel this sector forward.”

The study will also look at the feasibility of an Organic Learning Centre in the province. A steering committee made up of representatives from the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, the Sagehill Business Development Corporation, the Carlton Trail Regional College, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Science, the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, the Prairie Ursuline Centre at Bruno and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food has been put in place to provide direction to the study.

In January, Lorraine Beaudette of Sage Management Services of Saskatoon was retained to carry out the needs assessment.

“She has already established contact with many of the certification bodies in the province and a few producer groups," says Perrault. "Over the next few weeks, Sage Management Services will be surveying the various organic sector stakeholders to obtain their views on future learning needs, preferred delivery methods, use of technology and other areas of interest.”

For more information contact:

Don Perrault
Steering Committee Chair
Agri-Business Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 953-2361
dperrault@agr.gov.sk.ca

or

Lorraine Beaudette
Sage Management Services
R.R. 3, Gs 303, Box 9
Saskatoon SK S7K 3J6
(306) 956-3136
sage@yourlink.ca