After 28 days of campaigning, and a celebratory weekend NDP convention, the re-elected Saskatchewan agriculture minister said he was ready to tackle an “ambitious” agricultural agenda.
Much of that agenda sounds familiar.
Clay Serby said Nov. 10 the government will continue to push for a stronger livestock sector and more value-added industries.
“Tied to that is ethanol,” he said in an interview. “We very much believe that we’re only within weeks of having some major announcements around ethanol.”
It’s over a year since the government announced it would build three 80-million-litre plants with a private American partner at Belle Plaine, Melville and Tisdale. But Broe Companies of Denver has been unable to secure its financing and none of the facilities has been built.
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That wasn’t a huge election issue. Neither was the government’s $28 million loss in the potato industry.
Serby said the government intends to make better use of the irrigation infrastructure around Lake Diefenbaker where there is a well established seed potato industry, and expand it.
“It is underutilized and we want to step that process up to a higher level,” he said.
Serby said he expects Ottawa will help pay for new development.
And because it remains difficult to attract investment capital in agriculture, the government will continue to make targeted investments to make things happen, he said.
Serby said the province needs an aggressive economic development strategy and will use the Action Committee on the Rural Economy recommendations from 2002.
Focus on immigrants
Immigration is another ACRE suggestion that will receive more attention. Serby said Canada was populated through a strong immigration strategy and that needs to happen again.
“Who can come and bring the capital required, the technology and skills to move the province ahead?” he said.
Serby agreed that initiatives like expanding irrigation or developing regional water systems for both farms and small communities to protect them from drought will cost a lot of money. The province has already gone into debt to provide cattle producers with compensation for markets lost due to BSE.
“These projects are not done overnight. We will amortize them over a period of time.”
Serby, who also serves as deputy premier, has been agriculture minister since July 2000. Premier Lorne Calvert is expected to announce his new cabinet next week and Serby said he would be happy to remain in the portfolio.
“As much as it’s been difficult at times, I have a very good community of people who help me do this job in Saskatchewan.”
Farm leaders have said they appreciate Serby’s consultative approach to public policy.
