The deadline has been extended for livestock producers wanting to apply to the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program.
The announcement for the temporary enhanced funding came Tuesday from the Canadian and Saskatchewan governments.
In a release, the provincial government acknowledged that producers have experienced difficulties in sourcing materials and contractors to build water development projects following 2021’s drought conditions.
The program is now adjusted to allow producers who plan to claim more than $50,000 in rebates to submit a preliminary application by Mar. 31, 2022 in order to complete their projects.
Producers can submit for their rebate by Sept. 30, 2022.
“The Government of Saskatchewan recognizes the challenges producers are facing with availability of contractors and materials,” wrote Agriculture Minister David Marit in Tuesday’s statement.
“It is important to provide more time for producers to complete their water projects so they can take advantage of additional funding to develop secure and sustainable water sources to meet the needs of their operation and help them mitigate the impacts of future dry conditions.”
Program changes were announced on July 14, 2021, by the Saskatchewan government to temporarily increase the maximum funding a livestock producer can receive from the program for dugouts, wells and pipelines.
The maximum rebate for livestock producers from Apr. 1, 2021, to Mar. 31, 2022, rose to $150,000. According to the government, the first $50,000 works on a 50-50 cost-share, while the remaining $100,000 is a 70-30 government-producer cost-share.
“The past year has been a harsh reminder of how important water reliability is to agricultural producers,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food.
“By extending the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program, we are giving farmers more time to complete projects such as dugouts, wells and pipelines, that will help to ensure a better supply of this essential resource for livestock.”
Funding from the Farm and Ranch Water Infrastructure Program is part of a five-year, $3 billion partnership between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to support Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sectors.
Part of the commitment includes $2 billion that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially or territorially for provincial and territorial programs.