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The Ritso Society has embarked on an information transfer programme for farmers in the Central Plains area of Canterbury to assist them in considering the implications of potential large-scale community irrigation scheme development. This programme has been assisted by a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Sustainable Farming Fund. |
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The objective of the programme is:
"Furthering the development of an effective stakeholder consultation and decision making framework for regional scale irrigation investigation and development".
The programme has encompassed a number of elements including farmer field days on irrigated farms in the district, a study trip to another community irrigation scheme area and the establishment of a network of cluster groups within the farming community.
An Irrigation Information Pack has been developed to assist the decision-making and investigation process. The reports cover topics of interest relevant to both existing and potential irrigation farmers. They can be used when considering involvement in community irrigation schemes. The information included is both technical and informative as well as providing a decision-making framework within which farmers can evaluate their options.
The Pack is made up of the following reports commissioned by the Ritso Society:
- A financial decision making framework for irrigation conversion. (The AgriBusiness Group)
- Land Value Analysis - Irrigated and Dry Land. (Crighton Anderson)
- Trends in tradable irrigation shares. (Crighton Anderson)
- The physical and financial impacts of conversion from dryland to irrigated farming. (The AgriBusiness Group)
- Irrigation Water Calculator - to determine the volume of irrigation water required for a specific land use. (Aqualinc)
- Cost of groundwater pumping - Central Plains Canterbury. (Aqualinc)
Individual reports can be downloaded from the Reports page on this site.
A bound hard copy of the studies, "The Irrigation Information Pack", can be obtained by sending a cheque for $15.00, payable to The Ritso Society, c/- PO Box 4354, Christchurch.
Field Days Summaries
In winter 2004 Ritso held three on-farm field days. Following are the titles of the presentations given by Farm Management Consultants at each of the field days:
- Pastures - Dryland vs Irrigated, Geoff Dunham, The AgriBusiness Group
- Wealth from Water, Andrew Macfarlane, Macfarlane Rural Business Ltd
- Farming with Irrigation, Bob Engelbrecht, Bob Engelbrecht Consultancy Ltd
Summaries of these presentations can be downloaded from the Reports page on this site.
