The rapid expansion of Indigenous-owned or operated farming operations in this province has caught the eye of the economics team at RBC Royal Bank.
The nation’s largest financial institution noted the development following the Indigenous Agricultural Summit that drew 400 participants at Agribition last month.
The bank came away with three major themes. The first centres on demographics. As the legacy farm community continues to age, Indigenous entrants to the industry are much younger – averaging 34 years old for male and 38 for female farm operators. Further, organizations such as Suncrest College in east-central Saskatchewan is offering a canola crush training program through its nine locations.
Secondly, the number of farmers has grown six-percent as First Nations manage larger tracts of land through completion of land entitlement agreement. Reserve lands dedicated to cropping has grown by 10-percent but is still behind the overall provincial percentage.
And finally, bison populations are on the rise on the Prairies. It’s up 25-percent over the last five years in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
