U of S Coordinated Market Prospects Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Posted February 04, 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 4, 2005 2005-02-05-AG

Market Prospects Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Market Prospects, a television series coordinated by the Department of
Agricultural Economics at the University of Saskatchewan, is celebrating its
20th Anniversary this year. The series, produced in 10-minute segments,
appears weekly throughout Saskatchewan.

It uses interviews with leading experts from Saskatchewan and around the
globe to deliver market situation and outlook information on the major
prairie crops and livestock. The goal has always been to deliver timely
agricultural market information, analysis and education to prairie farmers
prior to spring planting.

The new season began in December 2004 and will run for 16 weeks ending in
April 2005. The audio and video of the interviews which have already aired,
as well as a text version of the interview questions can be accessed at
http://marketprospects.usask.ca/

"One might think that after 20 years of production, the annual series might
be growing old and tired," said U of S agricultural economist Robert Roy.
"However, the show has re-invented itself several times over the years to
remain relevant and accessible. It has gone from a one-day satellite show
with live audiences to a stand-alone special series on network television to
its current format on CTV's Farmgate."

More than 75,000 viewers watch the show each week on Farmgate in
Saskatchewan, and it is also available across Canada on satellite
television. The adoption of technology such as the Internet site and the
production of DVDs of the interviews has further expanded the availability
of information.

Financial support for the project in 2005 comes from the Canadian Adaptation
and Rural Development in Saskatchewan Program (CARDS), Agriculture Institute
of Management in Saskatchewan (AIMS), Canadian Wheat Board (CWB),
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), Saskatchewan
Pulse Growers and the Cyril Capling Trust Fund of the College of
Agriculture, U of S.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Robert Roy
Market Prospects 2005 Planning Committee
College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-4029
Web: http://marketprospects.usask.ca/