The chair of the new Crown irrigation investment company says the Government wants it to have runs on the board as quickly as possible.
Alison Paterson said its job is to provide the funding to get investment-ready irrigation schemes up and running and then, once farmers buy in, get its investment out.
She said irrigation schemes in Canterbury and Hawkes Bay are already very close to investment ready.
Ms Paterson said the Crown Irrigation Investments Company, which officially started up on Monday, is now looking to employ a chief executive.