Nova Scotia provides assistance to farms to increase water supply

Nova Scotia farmers will have access to additional support to increase their supply of water.

The province has committed an additional $475,000 under the On-Farm Water Management Program to support water projects such as wells and ponds on farms. This will fund all existing eligible applications and enable a second call for applications under the program.

“We want to help farms have a plentiful supply of water throughout the growing season and to deal with the very dry conditions they are experiencing,” said Greg Morrow, minister of agriculture. “This funding will help farms become more resilient in dealing with the impacts of climate change.”

The On-Farm Water Management Program is part of the federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments that aims to strengthen competitiveness, encourage innovation, and build the resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.

“This year’s drought has emphasized just how critical reliable water access is to the success of our farms and the security of our food system,” says Alicia King, president, Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. “Many producers are doing everything they can to adapt, but the reality is that without adequate water infrastructure — wells, ponds, and other on-farm solutions — those efforts can only go so far. Reopening the on-farm water management program will provide some support to farmers to address the challenges of drought and wildfire risk. These programs can help strengthen water management, reduce fire hazards and support farms to continue operating through these difficult conditions.”

In Nova Scotia, the On-Farm Water Management Program provides 50 per cent cost-shared support for water supply projects to a maximum of $15,000. Thirty well and pond projects received a total of $215,000 through the On-Farm Water Management Program in 2024.