The Saskatchewan government was expected to announce March 27 that it
would spend more money on agriculture this year, even as premier Lorne
Calvert reduced departments and cabinet to save money.
Budget details were not available before The Western Producer
deadlines, but agriculture minister Clay Serby has said there will be
more money for agricultural programs.
He has already said the province will spend an extra $14 million on
crop insurance this year.
Last year’s overall agriculture budget was increased 35 percent, to
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$337 million.
Serby was expected to finally announce details of the Farm Family
Opportunities Initiative.
The transition and adjustment program was announced during last year’s
budget, and assigned $6 million, but details were never made public.
Serby would not comment on whether the money was spent on other
programs.
The program will help farmers retrain for other occupations or adapt to
new farming methods, and provide avenues for capital investment in
rural Saskatchewan.
Following the success of the Saskatchewan Conservation Cover Program
last year, Serby had said he would like to expand the program.
But its fate is unknown as is that of the Farm Land Property Tax
Rebate, a two-year program that returned 25 percent of the education
portion of property tax on farmland. The Saskatchewan Association of
Rural Municipalities has asked that the rebate program be extended and
enhanced.
The government has been warning the budget would be tough.
Calvert told the SARM convention earlier this month that the government
doesn’t have a lot of new resources.
“It is no mystery … that we’ve had some significant revenue
shortfalls,” he said. “The people of Saskatchewan expect us not to
exceed our means.”
Highways minister Mark Wartman said his department is going to meet its
commitment. The province pledged to spend $2.5 billion over 10 years,
beginning in 1997-98. Last year, the province announced a $950 million
three-year plan to improve highways.
“I’m not getting as much as I had hoped,” Wartman said. “We’re on track
to meet our commitments.”
