SARM is asking the government for an update on the launch of Phase 1 of the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Project.
The association has been advocating for the water management infrastructure since its announcement in 2020.
President Ray Orb expressed their frustration of the hindrance in development.
"I think there are there are problems with the funding policy as far as the federal government putting in their share," he said. "The province has been telling us that's not the case, that the federal government wants the province to borrow money from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank. It would put the onus on the province to do a large part of this project when we think the federal government should be putting in their share."
With recent years of drought in the province, SARM feels that many RMs will benefit from the completed project, providing water to over 500,000 acres of agricultural land.
Orb added that when and if the province gets back to more normal runoff, if the infrastructure isn't in place for irrigation, it simply goes through without anybody touching it.
"It's a win-win project, it's a project that should be already on the go," he added. "It would be better if this project was already started and completed, but we're still not giving up hope. We're hoping that that the federal government reverses its said decision. We don't see this as different from any other infrastructure program."
SARM is asking the provincial government for a definite opening date on Phase 1; the government has shared that 90 per cent of the current canal is already in place.