Spending reductions at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will impact research and services in Saskatchewan.

The federal government informed AAFC employees across the country about the cost-cutting measures on Thursday, which are happening in every government department.

A total of 665 positions will be eliminated nationally including at least 73 in Saskatchewan, according to Milton Dyck, the Agriculture Union’s National President with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).  The cuts include research positions, program staff and corporate staff in Saskatoon, Swift Current, Regina and Melfort. PSAC has the most AAFC employees, but there are a few other smaller unions as well.

Additional details and Dyck’s comments can be heard in this report below:

On Friday afternoon, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released the following statement:

Agriculture Canada confirming this afternoon that  we can confirm that AAFC’s workforce will be reduced by approximately 665 positions and that notices to the 1043 affected employees were issued on January 22.

“As part of this process, AAFC will close three research and development centres Guelph (ON), Quebec City (QC), and Lacombe (AB) – and four satellite research farms Nappan, (NS), Scott (SK), Indian Head (SK) and Portage la Prairie (MB).

AAFC will remain Canada’s largest agricultural research organization, with 17 research centres nationwide and research farmland in every province. There are no imminent site closures, and any wind-down of scientific operations would follow a careful decision process that could take up to 12 months. As such, it is too early to determine and share details on final workforce impacts.”