Provincial grazing leases increase for 2025

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Grazing rates on provincial leases will rise in 2025 even as five-year-old provisions are adjusted downward to offset cattle sale prices, which are currently at an all-time high.

Rates in Zone 1, including most of southern Alberta, will move up to $8.70 per animal unit month, up $1.03 from 2024, while northern Alberta rate jumps to $6.07, or $1.08 higher.

That is roughly triple the cost seen when the province last updated the system in 2020 during the first overhaul in 26 years.

Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen approved the grazing rental rates for leases, licences and permits at the beginning of the year.

The Alberta Beef Producers commented that capital provisions offset some of the increases due to averaging of spring and fall steer prices at “historic highs.”

“Without these revisions, the rental rates would have been substantially higher this year,” read a statement to ABP members.

The phased-in rate for 2021 was $2.95, rising to $3.25 in 2022 in the south and central portions of the province.

The minimum rate was $1.30 in the north.