Resolution 8-07A
ADD Board Funding

WHEREAS, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food provides a grant through the Agricultural Fieldworker Policy to ADD Boards for the control of pests (rats); and

WHEREAS, municipalities only receive approximately $123 a township for pest (rat) control through the ADD Boards and pest control officers are expected to visit occupied and vacant farms twice a year; and

WHEREAS, the cost of keeping rats under control is increasing annually with the cost of hiring a pest control officer and the cost of providing bait to ratepayers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to increase the grant per township, to ADD Boards for pest control.

Response from Honourable Mark Wartman, Minister of Agriculture and Food: 

ADD Boards have provided valuable services in many areas of Saskatchewan, including pest control, weed control, and black fly programming. 

SAF supports pest control through annual grant funding to district ADD Boards and the Provincial Council of ADD Boards (PCAB).  SAF will continue to utilize the ADD Boards and PCAB to provide pest control, weed control and black fly control services to the agriculture industry.  SAF did increase funding for pest control and weed control to $540,000 for 2007-2008.  Funding decisions for future years will be made as part of the budget process for those years.