Hay River (Sep 18/06) - In the future Northern consumers could be buying locally grown produce and meat products from their community grocery stores, according to a study being prepared for the Territorial Farmer's Association.

Don Hoover, left, a consultant from Edmonton, chats with Fort Providence's Clarence Sapp during a conference on northern agriculture held Sept. 11 and 12 in Hay River - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Don Hoover an Edmonton consultant gave a preview of the study during a conference held in Hay River, Sept. 11 and 12. The full report is expected to be complete by the end of the month.

Hoover said agriculture is economically feasible in the NWT, given an adequate scale of operation and high-value commodities, especially fresh produce.

The study, which updates an earlier report from 1997, looks at using NWT production to replace 25 per cent of certain commodities now shipped from the South.

Hoover said that could include up to 35 commodities, including numerous vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, onions and tomatoes, along with beef, pork and broiler chickens.

The largest substitution component would be livestock, he said.

"That's the hardest to do," he added, noting stores want federally-inspected meat, but there is no federally-certified meat plant in the NWT.

Hoover, the president of Serecon Management Consulting Inc., said agricultural expansion would mean almost $4.5 million in extra production. In addition, the economic spin-off would be about $3.1 million.

Currently, NWT agricultural production stands at about $2.5 million.

Hoover estimated an investment of $6.8 million would be required and that government assistance would be needed.

"It's very difficult to take an industry from ground zero to being viable without some assistance," he noted.

The estimated economic impacts would equal about 21 ongoing jobs.

Hoover said that estimate is conservative. "I think you're looking at 60 people directly involved."

In all, 4,850 acres of land would be required to implement the plan.

"That's not a lot of acres," Hoover said. "That's something that should be achievable."

However, he said the main issue facing agriculture expansion is land availability. "Without it, you can't produce," he said.

Currently, availability is limited as some land is withdrawn from development because of ongoing land claim negotiations.

Following Hoover's presentation, Hay River farmer Pat Coleman commented that government seems more interested in diamonds and gas pipelines than in renewable activities like agriculture.

"That's something that has to change here," Coleman said.

The study's findings were released at the Pan-North American Circumpolar Agriculture Conference, which attracted people from across Canada and Alaska.