OUTLOOK, Sask. – Saskatchewan’s vegetable industry is facing good news and bad news, says Connie Achtymichuk, a vegetable specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
The bad news is that efforts to expand the province’s vegetable acreage have had limited success in the past few years and growth of the industry faces many obstacles, including a short growing season, long storage season, lack of storage facilities and processing infrastructure, high transportation costs and increasing competition from well-established marketing boards in Manitoba and Alberta.
The good news is that vegetable consumption is increasing and ample opportunities still exist to get in on the ground floor of an industry that’s destined to take off.
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“There are still lots of opportunities in vegetable production,” Achtymichuk told visitors to the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Development Centre’s July 16 field day in Outlook.
“Saskatchewan still has abundant land and water, very unlike many other jurisdictions, and when people think of Saskatchewan, they think of a pristine environment. That’s a big advantage for us.”
While growth of the industry has been modest, consumption of locally grown produce has been increasing and demand for organically grown fruit and vegetables is on the rise.
Consumers are becoming more selective in the types of food they eat, which bodes well for Saskatchewan producers who grow fresh produce and market it close to home.
“Consumption of vegetables is up,” Achtymichuk said.
“The Canadian Produce Marketing Association, the Canada Food Guide along with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the (Canadian) Cancer Society are all promoting healthy diets along with large portions of fresh fruits and vegetables. And it’s working. There is more consumption.”
Shawn Hansen, president of the Saskatchewan Vegetable Growers Association, said his organization has seen a ground swell of consumer confidence in food that is grown locally.
“A lot of small, local producers, be they organic or conventional, are using as few commercial fertilizers and pesticides as possible,” he said.
“They’re trying to grow a good natural food and as a result, we’re seeing a lot of positive growth in that part of the industry. I think a growing number of consumers have the perception, and rightfully so, that locally grown food is going to be about as wholesome a food as you can get and that really bodes well for our industry.”
Hansen said most of the fruit and vegetables grown in Saskatchewan are marketed through market gardens, U-pick operations and farmers’ markets.
The association would like to build on that base and expand sales through large food retailers and supermarkets.
“We’d like to do a lot more at the commercial level,” Hansen said.
“Our struggle is to get more growers up and growing and to get them growing the kind of acres that we need to grow to be successful at that level.”
Approximately 130 commercial vegetable growers operate in Saskatchewan.
Hansen estimated the average producer works a land base of 20 to 30 acres. All of the province’s vegetable growers use irrigation.
During the past few years, the number of small producers has increased, but expansion is still required to ensure a stable supply of produce for large retailers.
“We’ve got all kinds of growers that have the agronomy down pat,” Hansen said.
“They grow great produce. It’s just a matter of being able to access capital and it’s a leap of faith to take that next step.”
Researchers at the irrigation centre in Outlook have examined many aspects of fruit and vegetable production.
Recent studies have focused on the use of organic soil amendments such as hog compost and pelletized manure to replace commercial fertilizers.
– CROSS
