Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart has announced $1 million in funding for a new Industry Organization Development Fund. This funding will be provided over the next five years to help agricultural producer associations, commissions and boards to increase their capacity as industry leaders.
"Industry organizations play a critical role in contributing to the overall success of Saskatchewan's agriculture industry," Stewart says. "They bring forward best practices, new technologies and new opportunities to Saskatchewan's farmers and ranchers, which in turn contributes to the continued growth of our agriculture industry and provincial economy."
The Industry Organization Development Fund will support producer organizations in development, technology transfer and communications. This includes hiring qualified consultants to help develop leadership, priority setting and organizational development skills. Funding can also be used for training and assistance for issues related to labour shortages, to develop and hold workshops and conferences, to address market access issues and to develop production and economic tools.
Saskatchewan crop commodity associations, commissions and boards as well as primary, broad-based livestock commodity associations can receive up to $10,000 per year for qualified projects.
"This fund will help organizations like ours reach producers with the valuable information and tools that can help move our sector forward," Saskatchewan Forage Council President Aaron Ivey adds. "In addition, it will provide the opportunity to identify priorities and ensure that our organization is working on issues of importance to industry stakeholders."
Funding for the Industry Organization Development Fund is provided under the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 framework. For more information on the program, visit the Saskatchewan Agriculture website at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GrowingForward2.
