The current recession and a looming provincial deficit could prove a major setback for the Alternative Land Use Services program.

 

The NDP government has previously shown interest in ALUS as a province-wide ecological goods and services program to pay farmers for beneficial environmental practices.

 

But ALUS may have to wait until the province gets a huge budgetary deficit under control, said Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers.

 

“I have to be able to confidently say there’s money to do that before we make any promises,” Struthers told reporters Jan. 19 during Manitoba Ag Days.

 

“We know that we’re going to be dealing with tough economic times. We know there are good programs that may have to be delayed or deferred.”

 

An ALUS pilot project in the western Manitoba municipality of Blanshard wrapped up recently. ALUS-like projects in several other provinces have also been completed and reports submitted to government.

 

Keystone Agricultural Producers, which originated the concept, has been pushing the province to expand ALUS into a general program for Manitoba farmers.

 

But Struthers said he wants to study the effect of the Blanshard project before making any commitment. The province is reviewing the results.

“When it is finished, then we will sit down and we’ll look at all of the lessons that we’ve drawn from it,” Struthers said.

 

That’s not good enough for KAP president Ian Wishart, who developed ALUS in the first place.

 

Instead of waiting, the province could re-direct unspent money into a slightly larger ALUS project with room to grow, said Wishart.

 

“We could piece together a program that might start small in a rather restricted manner, but it could grow. That’s the proposal we’ve always had,” he said.

 

“We could phase this in across the province on a step-by-step basis so we get started moving in the right direction rather than just standing here talking about it.”

 

But Struthers said he first needs to know the environmental benefits of the Blanshard project and whether they translated into financial benefits for farmers.