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Greetings to the Saskatchewan Ethanol Forum

By Lon Borgerson

Good morning.

I am very pleased to take part in this event that focuses on what we all agree is a tremendous opportunity for the province, for our agriculture industry, our producers and our communities.

The Government and people of Saskatchewan have embraced ethanol and biodiesel as a means to end our reliance on non-renewable oil, bring new prosperity to rural areas, and contribute to the fight against climate change.

I offer my thanks and congratulations to all of you who were involved in organizing this event and to all of the speakers here today.

This event, and your enthusiasm and commitment, will help us to further the development of a renewable fuels industry in this province.

When you do the math, it's plain to see that biofuels have the potential to dramatically change many aspects of agriculture and our rural economy within a relatively short period of time.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for Saskatchewan, and we must take the necessary steps now to ensure the opportunity is not lost.

We are taking an aggressive stance on renewable fuels because we are particularly well-suited for their production.

We have 45 per cent of all the arable land in Canada, and we produce more than 40 per cent of the nation's agricultural feedstock.

As important, we have the people, the motivation and the research and development capacity to lead this industry.

We are already a leader in the development of the renewable fuels industry in Canada.

We were the first province in the country to mandate the use of ethanol-blended gasoline.

We launched the Greenprint for Ethanol Production back in 2002, and created the Saskatchewan Ethanol Development Council and the Saskatchewan Biodiesel Development Task Force.

We have also funded several research initiatives into the development of renewable fuels.

We will continue our leadership role in what we regard as an increasingly important industry.

Saskatchewan is a natural fit for a growing, export-based renewable fuels industry.

The timing is perfect for this province to lead the way in an industry that has significant growth potential, that will be a catalyst for economic development in rural areas, and that will create new job opportunities in a number of rural sectors.

Saskatchewan is in the ideal location to export ethanol and biodiesel across significant markets in Canada and the United States.

Proponents of the industry in our province believe we can build on our natural advantages and our capacity to achieve production of one billion litres of ethanol and 400 million litres of bio-diesel by 2015.

That may sound like an ambitious goal, but I am confident that we have the people with the energy, the skills and the innovative spirit needed to reach that goal.

That includes all of you here today.

We have the resources and the scientific capability.

We also offer an increasingly attractive and competitive investment climate.

Saskatchewan people share a vision of a green and prosperous economy that builds on our province's natural advantages.

We are excited by the prospect of putting our advantages to work to produce renewable fuels – the new generation of fuels that will power the 21st century.

Premier Calvert will be here later today to speak to you about his vision for a Saskatchewan renewable fuels industry, and about the Province’s commitment to working with producers, businesses and communities to make the most of the opportunity that renewable fuels offer.

Thank you, and best wishes for a productive and successful forum.