Producers help themselves by answering phone survey

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

There is a survey underway with which farmers will want to assist because it will provide important information for their businesses.

The 2007 Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) land lease rate survey is now underway.

The survey is done every two years, according to SAF Agricultural Economist Terry Bedard. “It surveys farmers about lease rates for farm land,” said Bedard. “The results are used to provide rental rate guidelines to those looking at leasing land.”

The survey is being conducted by the Arcas Group of Regina, a statistical research company. SAF wants all farmers to know that this is a legitimate, official survey, in case they happen to be among the respondents receiving a random call.

“We are looking only for people who have cash rental arrangements in place for either cultivated land or pasture land,” said Bedard. “Crop share arrangements are much more difficult to measure in terms of establishing lease rates, so the survey does not deal with those.”

The survey will be seeking answers to some pretty specific questions, such as: with whom is the rental agreement? Possible answers could be: family, neighbours, a financial institution or government.

In the case of cultivated crop land, farmers will be asked: How many acres are cultivated? What are the rental rates? How much are the taxes on the average quarter? Who pays the taxes?

The survey will also ask for information on leased pasture, such as: How many quarters are leased, and from whom? What portion of the land is native and what is improved? Is the pasture used to graze for cow-calf production or yearlings? How many head are being grazed, and what is the average size of animals within a given range? Again, farmers will be asked who is paying the taxes on the land. Are there capital improvements, such as dugouts or fencing, and is the landlord or lessee paying for them?

Bedard stresses that all information gathered by the survey is confidential.

“We will be asking respondents for their RM number, so that the results can be regionalized, by crop district if possible,” she noted. “The aggregate results are released on a province-wide and regional basis, but individual farmers’ responses are never made public.”

The survey is being conducted in a period overlapping March and early April, with results expected to be compiled and published sometime in May.

Survey respondents will have the option to provide an e-mail address so that results can be sent directly to them, but everyone will have access to the final report via the SAF website at www.agr.gov.sk.ca.

For more information, contact:

Terry Bedard, Agricultural Economist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 787-5956
E-mail: tbedard@agr.gov.sk.ca