The County of Wetaskiwin Agricultural Service Board is updating its strategic planning outcomes, which will mean increased costs to producers in some areas of the outcomes.

Steve Majek, director of agricultural services, says the biggest recommended change is adopting a 50/50 cost share model for the treatment of orange hawkweed.

Sharing the costs with producers who need to treat orange hawkweed would allow the county to expand the program.

When asked what the 50/50 share model included Majek informed council it was only for the cost of the treatment product and did not include application costs.

“The service board is saying maybe we shouldn’t do this for nothing,” said Majek.

Majek says other recommendations of the strategic planning outcomes are already being done, such as providing a list of independent contractors for producers to use.

With council adopting the Agricultural Service Board’s strategic planning outcomes it will help provide public education on the contents.

Other items included in the strategic planning outcomes — adopted by county council at its March 7 meeting — include adding a weed inspection summary letter into taxes specific to each area in the county, hosting a workshop in various areas of the county to address noxious weeds, developing a mowing strategy for hamlets and educating urban populations in the City of Wetaskiwin and Town of Millet on spraying and mowing.