Behind the business of Saskatchewan sheep farming

Sheep farming, while a smaller agricultural sector in Saskatchewan, is growing to meet national demand.

First-generation farmer Martin Catto moved to Canada in 1999 from Scotland, where sheep farming is commonplace. He recalls being one of the first people to ask for a loan to start a sheep farm, making him one of the pioneers of this sector in Saskatchewan.

Catto acts as the director of Brimar Farms near Lipton, Sask., which produces 12,000 to 14,000 sheep a year.

The Catto family operates one of the more than 800 sheep farms in the province. There are roughly 8,500 sheep farms in Canada, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“Raising sheep, it’s not easy. It does take quite a bit of management and there is quite a lot of manual labor involved. But if you do it right and you pay attention to the details, then it is very rewarding,” Catto said.

Saskatchewan’s industry is growing, with inventory up almost four per cent in a single year, according to Statistics Canada’s livestock estimates.

Sheep farming is still considered specialty farming, and remains a smaller sector of agriculture despite rising numbers.

Sheep have a lower investment cost compared with larger sectors of farming, leading to growth among younger producers who are continuing to develop sheep farming in Saskatchewan.

While lambs are being raised in Saskatchewan, the meat is processed out of province, typically in Alberta or Ontario.

Located in Innisfail, Westfine Meats is the largest federally-inspected plant in Alberta. It’s managed by Stéphane Beausolei, who said there is a year-round relationship with producers.

“We have a contract with them that they supply us all year long. So we operate 52 weeks a year. And we work with the producers. We get on a contract. They raise animals to our standard. We’re looking for a certain weight and then we process it,” Beausolei.

After processing, the meat is ready to put on grocery store shelves.