Saskatoon-based fertilizer firm Nutrien forecasts 2020 agriculture rebound after tough Q4.

Nutrien suspended operations at its Vanscoy, Sask., mine in September 2019 due to a short-term softening of the global potash market.

Nutrien says Agrosema has annual sales of roughly US$60 million across 12 farm centres with approximately 200 employees.

Around 265 employees at one of Nutrien's mines will remain laid-off for several weeks as the company extends the shutdown at one Saskatchewan potash mine.

Production will be curtailed at Nutrien’s Rocanville operations in Saskatchewan for two weeks due to the CN Rail strike.

“This campaign really impacts Saskatchewan communities in a big way," Food Banks of Saskatchewan executive director Laurie O’Connor said in a press release.

Saskatoon-based Nutrien said that it expects demand will pick up in 2020 as crop prices improve and fertilizer inventories are depleted.

Eight Canadian agriculture and food tech innovators are vying for US$1.25 million in Saskatoon.

Nutrien says production downtime is in response to a short-term slowdown in global potash markets.

Students received 2,500 free backpacks and new school supplies at Saskatoon’s White Buffalo Youth Lodge on Thursday.