SASKATOON (Staff) – Saskatchewan’s aerial applicators are trying to expand business to avoid the boom-bust nature of their work.
Luckily for most farmers, plagues of pests are not perennial events in Saskatchewan.
But for crop dusters, that means years of little work interspersed with bursts of overwhelming, high-pressure activity.
“When there are no bugs, there’s no work and you can’t# maintain a $100,000 airplane just for the occasional bug outbreak,” said Lloyd Good, Saskatchewan Aerial Applicators Association president.
That weakens the industry and when a big outbreak occurs, there might not be enough planes to handle it.
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He has met with provincial agriculture minister Eric Upshall to enlist help to get more chemicals registered for aerial application. That would provide steadier work.
Good thinks when chemicals are registered for commercial use they should automatically include ground and air application unless there is a special reason.
This would allow aerial sprayers to find more work spraying routine spring and fall herbicides.
The association also wants to focus on training.
“We are trying to get a program where there will be more applicators who are better trained.” Problems can arise if untrained farmer-pilots get involved in spraying.
“The potential is there that he might not do a good job and he might put himself in danger,” Good said.
He added that Upshall is co-operating and another meeting is scheduled this fall.
