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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Thursday March 12, 2020

Mar 12, 2020 | 10:13 AM

Funding for irrigation expansion will be announced in next week’s provincial budget.

Premier Scott Moe made the promise at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual meeting in Regina yesterday. Moe said irrigation is an underutilized opportunity in the province.

“If we are able to increase the number of irrigated acres in our province, there will be a much larger opportunity for us to diversify into much higher value crops, as well as opportunities to attract value added processing,” Moe said. “In this budget, you are going to see a significant commitment to further identify opportunities to expand our irrigation acres here in the province of Saskatchewan.”

Moe also told delegates the province plans to move from a federally appointed chief firearms officer to a provincially-appointed one and the province will continue to invest in road infrastructure to ensure continued economic development.

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Environmental groups are questioning why Ottawa wants to ban farmers from killing gophers with strychnine, but allows provincial governments to use it against wolves.

The Pest Management Review Agency ruled using strychnine against Richardson’s ground squirrels would no longer be allowed, but the decision didn’t affect the Alberta government which uses it to kill wolves in order to protect caribou herds.

Sadie Parr with Wolf Awareness said using strychnine against wolves creates the same problems as using it against gophers.

A Health Canada spokesperson said strychnine is applied much more broadly against gophers than it is against wolves.

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Fast-food chain A&W said they are committed to sourcing 100 per cent Canadian beef that is grass-finished and raised without the use of growth promotants.

A&W said the move marks their commitment to regenerative agriculture and protection of Canada’s grasslands.

The Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association said it’s glad to see A&W wants beef from Canadian farms and ranches, but has concerns about the grass-finished component.

Chair Greg Schmit said the group wants consumers to know grain-finished beef is just as nutritious and more environmentally beneficial than grass-fed.

The Cattle Feeders Association said the vast majority of beef consumed in Canada is grain-finished.

Grass-fed cattle also take longer to reach slaughter weights and produce more methane than grain-fed cattle in feedlots.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF