Unharvested crop, the carbon tax on grain drying, rail blockades, declining farm income and an upcoming ban on strychnine for gopher control are all on the radar.

The President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) spent some time in Ottawa speaking to federal officials last month. He is hoping there will be something for agriculture in the next budget.

“We are more hopeful now (about compensation) than when we went to Ottawa,” Ray Orb said. “Of course, if there is compensation it would involve some of the trade issues with China and canola.”

A trade dispute between the two countries has dragged on for a year, costing Western Canadian producers an estimated $1 billion.

There has also been extensive lobbying to lift the carbon tax on grain drying. It has been an added expense following a 2019 harvest that included a combination of rain and late maturing crops. A lot of crop was dried over the fall and winter with additional drying possible when unharvested crops are combined in the spring.

Premier Scott Moe will address the SARM convention on Wednesday morning and that will be followed by the cabinet bearpit session.

There will also be a panel discussion on broadband internet service in rural areas. One of the participants will be Sasktel President and CEO Doug Burnett.

The SARM annual conventions run through Thursday.