Two irrigation groups plan amalgamation

The proposed merger of Saskatchewan’s two irrigation organizations was outlined at the annual Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association (SIPA) conference in Moose Jaw.

The planned marriage will amalgamate the research and development arm, Irriga- tion Crop Diversification Crop Development Centre (ICDC) and the lobby arm, SIPA under an entity called Irrigation Saskatchewan.

The amalgamation benefits include an opportunity to re-brand under one group, said Joel VanderSchauf, outgoing SIPA chair.

He added that board recruitment will become easier as board members will no longer be responsible for day-to-day operations. A major benefit will be ability to collect the statutory acreage levy from non-district irrigators across the province, said ICDC board chair Anthony Eliason. Currently, the fee of $1 an acre is collected on about 100,000 acres of irrigated land. The union will save about $9,500 a year in administration costs after hiring a CEO and part-time communications director. The communications director will work on collecting fees from private irrigators The amalgamated entity will lose some of the $175,000 annual government funding but a 40 cent an acre increase in the levy will offset the loss. The levy increase is about $50 per quarter section, said Eliason

SIPA has an annual budget of $85,000 compared with $475,000 for ICDC. Discussed for years, the amalgamation could happen within the next year.