Premier Moe’s government will enhance the Saskatchewan Value-Added Agriculture Incentive
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty mentioned agriculture multiple times on Oct. 27 while reading the throne speech to open the second session of the province’s 29th Legislature.
One such mention included “enhancing” the Saskatchewan Value-Added Agriculture Incentive.
The provincial government started the program in 2018.
The incentive “is a non-transferable 15 per cent tax rebate on capital expenditures valued at $10 million or more for newly constructed or expanded value-added agriculture facilities in Saskatchewan.”
He also acknowledged agriculture for the sector’s contributions to carbon sequestration.
Farmers in the province sequester about 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Those efforts, and others from different sectors, will be highlighted in the new Sustainable Saskatchewan brand. The project will promote the environmental sustainability of products produced in Saskatchewan.
Lt. Gov. Mirasty also highlighted previous government measures to help the ag industry.
These include $119 million in direct support to livestock producers through AgriRecovery and increasing the 2020 AgriStability interim payment from 50 to 75 per cent.
In addition, Premier Moe’s government is committed to an additional $2.5 million in agriculture water development to increase the number of irrigable acres in Saskatchewan.
Irrigation priorities for the provincial government also include Lake Diefenbaker, “which has the potential to transform agriculture in Saskatchewan,” the throne speech says.
That project alone has the potential to increase domestic production by $80 billion over the next 50 years.
Agriculture also contributed to nearly $10 billion of investments in the province.
They include a new potash mine, three new canola crushing plants plus an expansion of an existing facility, a wheat straw pulp facility, new urea fertilizer plant and a new seeder manufacturing facility.
The manufacturing facility in Saskatoon belongs to Clean Seed.
“It is an honour to be recognized for the leading role Clean Seed is playing to contribute to growth in employment opportunities, technical development, and innovation of SMART Seeder technologies as well as crop production initiatives in the province of Saskatchewan, the heartland of Canada,” Graeme Lempriere, chairman and CEO of Clean Seed, said in an Oct. 28 statement. “The construction of our Clean Seed Agricultural Technology headquarters is well underway, and we look forward to the opening ceremony as part of this wonderful and exciting process.”