Many Manitoba producers may be basking in the glow of the fiery crop markets, but part of the focus at the Keystone Agricultural Producers convention was on the plight of livestock producers.
“It is a real crisis,” said outgoing KAP president David Rolfe.
“It’s unprecedented. And it’s time for governments to take action.”
The concern for livestock producers threaded itself through the convention, which also discussed safety nets, country-of-origin labelling and the fight over the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopolies.
KAP’s crusade against high fertilizer costs was also often raised, with little sympathy shown for the fertilizer manufacturing industry.
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Premier Gary Doer spoke to the KAP delegates, taking a positive and conciliatory tone on a number of issues, praising farmers for their efforts.
He didn’t mention the OlyWest controversy, in which a proposed hog plant originally supported by the provincial government became a provincial election issue that saw Doer back away from his previous support, in some people’s eyes.
But he did talk about water issues. Many farmers say they are being targeted by the provincial government, environmental groups and urban interests for the water quality problems in Lake Winnipeg.
Farmers have been worried about water use regulations creating more difficulties, but Doer suggested farmers would not be frozen out of the regulation discussions.
“We also know that there’s going to be tremendous pressure again on water quality, water stewardship,” Doer said.
“I think the original environmental stewards of water are … agriculture and farmers in Manitoba and we will have to work very carefully and diligently with you on all of the detail. I think in a lot of these programs the devil is in the details. And we will have to work with you to make sure that there’s proper offsets to any unfunded mandates that come down in legislation or in amendments on improving our environment both in terms of water and in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.”
Agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk praised farmers for environmental initiatives such as the alternate land use services program and the environmental farm plan program, which are both KAP priorities.
She did not say when the hog barn moratorium would be resolved, noting that the Clean Environment Commission is late with its report.
“I am hoping that very soon we will have the results of the Clean Environment Commission hearing so that the industry can move forward with whatever the recommendations are,” said Wowchuk.
