A Saskatchewan farmer is calling the fresh trade threat from U.S. President Donald Trump another layer of uncertainty added to an already fragile agricultural economy. (Associated Press files)

By Jacob Bamhour/CJME

Tariff threats again

Sask. farmer warns Trump tariffs threat just fuelling more uncertainty

Jan 25, 2026 | 10:18 AM

A Saskatchewan farmer is calling the fresh trade threat from U.S. President Donald Trump another layer of uncertainty added to an already fragile agricultural economy, as producers try to navigate volatile markets, tight margins, and rising costs.

Unity-area farmer Darin Johnson said Trump’s warning of a potential 100-per-cent tariff on Canadian goods tied to Canada’s trade relationship with China lands at a moment when farmers were just starting to see some relief in grain prices.

“I think it’s time that we just carry on with our life,” Johnson said. “He’s trying to suppress us. If we can’t sell our stuff to China, and we can’t sell our stuff to them, what are we supposed to do with it?”

Trump raised the possibility of sweeping tariffs in a recent Truth Social post.

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Trump posted again later in the day saying the last thing the world needs is for a Chinese takeover of Canada.

“It’s NOT going to happen, or even come close to happening!” the president wrote.

Johnson said the impact is already visible in grain markets, particularly canola. He pointed to a sudden price jump following announcements tied to China.

“I just sold canola, and just because they made that announcement, canola went from about $12.80 or $12.90 a bushel to over $14,” he said, citing prices seen in Provost.

“That deal was good for farmers here in Saskatchewan.”

Despite acknowledging concerns about China’s political system and global influence, Johnson said farmers were being forced to think practically about where they could sell their crops.

“I don’t agree with the way China meddles in politics or how they treat their people,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we still have to move grain. We don’t have the luxury of ideology when bills are due.”

Johnson said he is still holding much of last year’s canola crop, while pea prices had dropped sharply year over year. He said last year peas sold for around $12 a bushel, compared to roughly $7.50 this season.

“The only reason we’re selling peas right now is because they’re in grain bags, and those bags have to be gone by spring,” he said. “Time is forcing our hand.”

He said Trump’s threats can not be dismissed as mere posturing, even if similar tariff warnings in the past had gone back and forth.

“He wields a lot of power,” Johnson said. “He’s a bully and if we allow him to suppress us, he will. We have to take him seriously because it’s a big market.”

Johnson also questioned how U.S. farmers will react if tariffs are applied to Canadian-made agricultural equipment used south of the border.

“There are a lot of farmers in the States running Canadian equipment,” he said. “Are they going to be happy when a $900,000 air drill suddenly has a 75 or 100-per-cent tariff on it? I doubt it.”

He said respect and stability are what farmers need the most, not inflammatory language. Johnson also took issue with Trump referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney as governor.

“We need the American market, but we don’t need the rhetoric,” he said. “Respect matters.”

Carney did not comment on Trump’s posts, instead posting a video on X saying Canadians had made a choice to focus on what they can control.

Johnson said the only reason his farm remained profitable this season was strong yields, not strong prices a reality he said can quickly turn if weather or markets shift.

“What happens when we don’t grow a big crop?” he asked. “That’s what keeps me up at night.”

He said ongoing trade uncertainty is the last thing Saskatchewan farmers need as they planned for the next growing season.

Agriculture research operations closing

On Saturday, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says it has identified savings opportunities and is closing seven research operations, including in Saskatchewan.

The federal department says research centres in Guelph, Ont., Quebec City and Lacombe, Alta., as well as four satellite research farms across Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are closing.

It says that, so far, approximately 665 department positions have also been reduced and nearly 1,050 employees received notices on Thursday.

It adds the number of AAFC workers affected by the closures is not final as the wind-down of scientific operations can take up to a year.

The agency says, like other federal departments, its job cuts follow the identification of savings over three years, while remaining focused on its core mandate.

Various Canadians unions are reporting that nearly 10,000 federal public servants they represent received notices in the past week warning them that their jobs may be cut as part of Ottawa’s efforts to reduce program spending and administration costs by about $60 billion over the next five years.

— with files by Canadian Press and CJME News