Saskatchewan irrigators were told not to expect new money for
irrigation development this year at their seventh annual conference.
James Harvey, re-elected president of the Saskatchewan Irrigation
Projects Association, said provincial and federal government
representatives in attendance cited financial constraints this year but
did not rule out future funding.
Support is expected to continue in research and development for
irrigation at the crop diversification centre in Outlook, Sask., and in
plant development at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
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At the conference in Outlook Dec. 2-3, Harvey said the province’s
response runs contrary to recommendations on irrigation in the final
report of the government commissioned Action Committee on the Rural
Economy. It supports irrigation development in developing industries
like cattle feedlots.
“You just shake your head,” said Harvey. “There’s a widespread feeling
that if the government doesn’t act, opportunities will be lost.
“We’re not just increasing wheat yields but producing a wide variety of
options through diversification.”
Maryellen Carlson, assistant deputy minister for Saskatchewan
Agriculture, said the government recognizes irrigation as an important
tool in increasing the value of output per acre.
She said the ACRE report recommended “a consideration of options,”
which the government plans to do.
Carlson felt irrigation’s move in October to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s
jurisdiction from Sask Water would be beneficial in future
consultations.
“They can participate now more clearly at the table, can participate in
submitting projects and are part of the decision making process with us
and the allocation of resources,” she said.
The association will also sit on a new committee created by the
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority to develop irrigation strategies for
the province.
The 92 delegates to the SIPA and Irrigation Crop Diversification
Corporation joint meetings also heard that irrigators will be
responsible for developing their own infrastructure.
While Sask Power seemed prepared to create new power systems for an
industry like a mine, Harvey said it was not prepared to create the
three-phase power systems needed to power irrigators’ pumps and pivots.
The federal government’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is
both good and bad news for SIPA, said Harvey.
While irrigators use power generated by coal-fired plants that create
more greenhouse gas, they also grow more vigorous crops that can act as
a carbon sink.
