Irrigation is an important agriculture practice in Canada where precipitation levels are low during the growing season, or the type of crop being grown may require higher irrigation needs. Irrigation can improve crop yields, crop diversification, productivity and profits. Irrigation technology has evolved to become more efficient, from delivery to application. Over the last decade, Canada has seen a 14.6% increase in the total irrigated acres of farmland, illustrating a strong demand by farmers to increase their irrigable acres.
Evolution of irrigation
In 2020, most of the irrigated land in Canada was in Alberta, making up about 71%, followed by Saskatchewan at 8.9% and British Columbia at 8.7%, respectively.
Irrigation expansion is still on the horizon for Western Canada. Alberta has recently announced a $117.7 million investment to modernize irrigation infrastructure and increase water storage. The province plans to add over 200,000 irrigated acres and grow value-added agricultural exports by 37% with this investment. Saskatchewan also announced in 2020 a 10-year $4 billion initiative to increase irrigated acres by up to 500,000 acres, and B.C. introduced a $5 million investment in April of 2021 to support orchards, farms and wineries.
Types of irrigation
Canadian irrigation is primarily made up of three methods: sprinkle, micro and surface.
Sprinkler method is where water is delivered above the crop canopy which a pivot walks around the field distributing water. These are typically used on larger operations growing potatoes, grain, or forage commodities.
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