The Alberta government along with the Municipal District of Acadia, the Special Areas Board and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, are investing $7 million to continue the planning of a large-scale irrigation project to be located in east central Alberta, a Dec. 5 news release said.
“Historically, irrigation has been a game-changer when it comes to increasing sustainable primary crop production. The east central project has the potential to help grow the agri-food sector and support a diversified value-added processing industry,” Nate Horner, Alberta minister of agriculture and irrigation, said in the release.
Planning for the irrigation project will include preliminary engineering design, environmental and regulatory considerations and potential financing options, the release said. It’s expected to take up to 24 months to complete and will inform the next steps in the irrigation project.
“Special Areas has everything it needs to become a highly productive agricultural area – everything except a reliable supply of water. This project could reinvent what agriculture looks like in east-central Alberta, bringing new opportunities to producers passionate about agriculture,” Jordon Christianson, chair of the Special Areas Board, said in the release.
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