Ottawa will provide another $1.1 million to help Saskatchewan farmers
build water projects for livestock.
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Clay Serby told reporters about the
extra cash on April 22, two days before federal agriculture minister
Lyle Vanclief’s office issued a news release confirming that more than
800 projects would be funded.
“The additional funding will help to ensure that eligible water
development projects submitted prior to the program’s application
deadline of Jan. 31, 2002, are implemented in a timely manner when they
Read Also
Petition launched over grazing lease controversy
Battle continues between the need for generation of tax revenue from irrigation and the preservation of native grasslands in southern Alberta rural municipality.
are needed most,” Vanclief said in the release.
The Canada-Saskatchewan Livestock Farm Water Program was created last
December when both governments topped up existing Prairie Farm
Rehabilitation Administration spending to help drought-stricken cattle
producers.
The province contributed $1.5 million and Ottawa spent $1 million.
But the program soon ran out of money to pay for the 2,500 projects
that were approved.
“The number of applications we received exceeded earlier projections
resulting in the $2.5 million CSLFWP being oversubscribed by about $1.1
million,” acting PRA director general Robert Wettlaufer wrote in a
letter to Saskatchewan assistant deputy minister Hal Cushon.
“To facilitate a wrap-up of the program, I have authorized approval of
all eligible projects.”
Wettlaufer also extended the project completion deadline to June 28.
Saskatchewan Party MLA Wayne Elhard called the announcement good news
and said there is no way some producers could have completed
construction by the original March 31 deadline.
