b'Of all potatoes grown in Saskatchewan in 2022, the number grown under irrigation was 5,200 acres. It fluctuates between 3,000 and 5,000 most years, says Peru. This project, however, will increase averages across the board as there will be more land available to incorporate potato production into crop rotation.Having more irrigated acres around Lake Diefenbaker is going to help move towards critical mass and allow more ground to be available for potato production, he says.As part of phase one, rehabilitating the existing Westside canal that runs from Lake Diefenbaker to the Conquest Reservoir will be important. The first phase will add 80,000 acres of irrigation capacity. Beyond that, the existing Westside Pump Station will have to be built to provide the required water supply.Joel Peru, director of irrigation of the Water Security AgencyPhase two is all about expansion, namely adding another 260,000 acres in central Saskatchewan to irrigation. New canals and reservoirs will be required, and this phase will add a staged, long-term benefit to the province.According to Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects, one acre of dryland wheat adds $400 to Saskatchewans GDP, but one irrigated acre of potatoes is worth $5,500. That same acre dedicated to processing potatoes is worth $20,000. Could this expansion attract a Saskatchewan-based processer? Time will tell.The expansion is predicted to bring in $4.6 billion annually in tax revenues and provide 2,500 jobs per year during the building phase. The WSA is also working on the Saskatoon Southeast Water Supply System, and it recently announced 15,000 more acres ofVictoria Stamper, generalMatthew Lawless, president of irrigation in that area, most of which was immediately snapped upmanager of the United Potatothe Saskatchewan Seed Potato by farmers. Growers of Canada Growers Association INNOVATIVEECONOMICALRELIABLEENJOYABLE26SPUDSMART.COMWinter 2024'