Manitoba is planning to eliminate fixed fertilizer application deadlines, says Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
The government brought in provincial regulations in 2011 that prohibited farmers from applying fertilizer or manure after Nov. 10 or before April 10.
KAP lobbied against the regulations, arguing that farmers should be permitted to apply fertilizer late into November or before April 10 when conditions are suitable.
“They’re going to commit to a more flexible, adaptable process that isn’t tied to fixed dates,” Chorney told a KAP district meeting in Brandon in late November.
The conflict over fertilizer deadlines between growers and the province reached a boiling point this fall when there was a window of warm weather for several days after Nov. 10.
A provincial spokesperson said in early November that the government wouldn’t extend the Nov. 10 deadline but would “monitor weather conditions and review individual requests.”
A provincial spokesperson said Mackintosh has instructed department staff to “explore other options that would focus more on actual soil temperatures and regional variations”, rather than fixed dates.
