Local growers are producing both good quality and quantity crops given the 110 frost-free growing days and annual rainfall of 12 inches per year. This area is known for its high quality milling wheat, durum, canola and pulse crops. The Moose Jaw area is a dominant player in the world trade of pulse crops, such as peas, lentils and beans. And demand continues to grow. In 1981, Saskatchewan farmers grew about 85,000 acres of lentils. Within a decade this number increased to 450,000 acres and in 2016 hit a record 5.3 million acres seeded in pulses. Today Saskatchewan produces about 50 per cent of the world’s lentils and 50 per cent of the world’s peas. The Canadian pulse industry has set a goal of “25 by 2015.” This means the pulse industry will strive to build new use markets, such as food ingredients and foodservice, for at least 25 per cent of Canada’s pulse production by the year 2025.

Saskatchewan's top three export destinations include the United States, China, and India. The consumer trend toward products with no gluten or genetically modified ingredients, such as fibre, flour starch and protein concentrates derived from pulses, will continue to increase processing and export of locally grown dried peas, lentils and beans. Canada has about 12,000 pulse farmers exporting $1.1 billion in peas and lentils to India in 2016. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers says India is one of its largest markets growing by 20 per cent a year between 2010 and 2015, and accounting for about one third of all pulses exported in Canada. These proteinrich crops are also popular in the Middle East.

Saskatchewan accommodates 6 million hectares of pastureland, home to 30% of the cowherd in Canada. Saskatchewan’s cattle herd is the second largest in the country at 2.715 million head (July 2015). Beef feedlots and finishing facilities provide economic spin-offs to the region. The province’s hog industry is thriving with over $228 million annually in revenues, and Moose Jaw is a leader in hog processing. Hog are benefiting from a strong pork demand from China. Saskatchewan markets 8 per cent of all hogs in Canada, around 2.1 million hogs every year, but still has one of the lowest concentrations of pigs per square mile of arable farmland in the world at 16.6.

Canada is the world’s fifth-largest agricultural exporter at $56 billion annually or 5.7 per cent of global agricultural trade. Canada was the top exporter of wheat, canola, lentils, and canary seed in 2015. Saskatchewan is the world’s leading exporter of dry peas, lentils, durum, mustard seed, canola seed, canola oil, canola meal, canary see and oats. In 2017, Saskatchewan agriculture exports were the fourth largest on record with total sales of $13.6 billion to 143 different countries. Agriculture exports have increased more than 60 per cent since 2010. Saskatchewan agri-food exports are a cornerstone of the province’s trade-based economy, accounting for almost half of total exports. Exports In the province’s key sectors (oilseeds, pulses, cereal grains and edible oils) total more than $1.6 billion each.