THE REGION

- The People
- Land and Climate
- Economy and Industry
- Infrastructure
- Living Here
- Advantages

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY

Building on the Momentum of Agriculture and Potash Mining

The Yellowhead's dynamic, varied economy, energized by its primary industries of agriculture and potash mining and supported by innovative and diverse manufacturing and service sectors, is moving ahead at a solid pace.

Agriculture and Agribusiness Dominates the Region
The area is well known for its cereal and specialty crop production and is also a solid producer and net exporter of beef.

Most of the region is classified as prime agricultural land supporting over 990 farms and ranches that occupy almost 969,000 acres (392,000 hectares) across the Yellowhead's five rural municipalities. Over 93 percent of the regions total rural land area is used for agriculture.

Based on 2006 agricultural census information, average farm size is 1,165 acres, ranging from just over 1,100 acres in the RM of Langenburg to over 1,550 acres in the RM of Spy Hill.

Total gross farm receipts were $114.1 million for the region. The region's total per-farm capital value based on average farm size was almost $690,000, and ranged from just over $600,000 in the RM of Saltcoats to almost $750,000 in the RM of Spy Hill. On a per acre basis, capital value averaged $590, ranging from about $485 in the RM of Spy Hill to just over $690 in the RM of Langenburg.

There is Room to Grow - Affordable Agricultural Land and Real Estate
The region has much to offer farm families across Canada and around the world with some of the most attractive land and real estate prices anywhere in Canada. Saskatchewan itself has a larger agricultural land base than any other province combined with a strong agricultural support industry in both the private sector and the provincial government departments.

Excellent and Stable Land Values
In spite of a recent trend of accelerating agricultural land values in Saskatchewan, Farm Credit Canada statistics indicate that over the past decade those values have remained remarkably stable, increasing on average less than one percent per year, or about 9 percent over the past decade. In contrast, Alberta land values has increased almost ten times that rate, rising almost 84 percent over the decade with Ontario values increasing by almost 73 percent.

Not surprisingly, in recent years, the region has become an attractive destination for cattle farmers from Alberta and Ontario, where purchasing land for expansion is restrained by price or availability.

The World's Largest Potash Mine is Right Here
The region hosts major components of Saskatchewan's $2-billion-plus potash industry. Esterhazy is home to the world's largest Potash mine operated by Minnesota-based Mosaic Company which employs about 800 people from the region and beyond with an annual production capacity of 5.3-million tonnes.

Immediately south of the region the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, the largest potash producer in the world, operates its Rocanville mine with an annual capacity of over 3-million tonnes employing about 350 people mostly from the Yellowhead region.

This industry supports food production worldwide with a continually growing demand for its products.

Secondary Industries Are Flourishing
A number of secondary agriculture and mining manufacturers operate in the region including food and beverage processing, metal fabrication, machinery manufacturing and printing/publishing.

Abundant and Affordable Energy and Water Supplies
The demands of the primary and secondary industry of the region assures the area is well supplied with ample electricity and natural gas resources.

SaskPower, a provincial Crown corporation, offers competitive electricity rates to consumers and businesses throughout the province. SaskEnergy, another provincial Crown corporation, supplies the region with natural gas, while SaskWater is responsible for the distribution of potable and non-potable water. Area lakes, rivers and groundwater combined with ample annual precipitation provide moisture stability.

Employment Sectors Reflect Economic Diversity
The dominance of the resource economy - agriculture and potash mining - is confirmed in the 37 percent of the workforce employed in that sector. Employment in health and education, which commands 16 percent of our workforce, reflects the high level of those services available to residents. The diverse business community, represented by wholesale and retail trade employs 13 percent of workers with the manufacturing sector occupying less than 10 percent of the workforce.

Major employers in the Yellowhead region are
- Mosaic
- Kalium
- Bridgeview Manufacturing
- Bunge Canada
- CP Railway.