Re: Man. agriculture economy in hands of elected officials (WP Editorial, Oct. 20)
It’s a terrible shame and insulting that the Manitoba Pork Council and the hog producing industry can only whine when decisive action is finally being taken by the province to protect our most important and vital resource — water, and particularly, Lake Winnipeg.
The fact is the hog industry, encouraged by the most stringent regulations that the province had to offer, simply couldn’t stop growing. Now, however, the government has finally come to the conclusion that there has to be meaningful regulations, enforcement and much better manure management…
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Such an action should have been implemented many years ago. Environmentalists and thousands of Manitobans have been asking — no, pleading — for tougher measures for years, and unrelenting, they have been warning about the hog manure waste pollution and consequences to Lake Winnipeg and our Manitoba waters.
Treating the cause(s) is the right way to achieve success, and it now seems that the government has come to the same conclusion and is determined to act. The future of our Manitoba waterways are at stake.
The editorial mentions that hog barns create a small part of agriculture phosphorus; crop fertilization is by far the bigger source. While crop commercial fertilization does represent a larger portion of phosphorus application, the 2005 Interim Report by the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board tells us that the increase in fertilizer application has generally been matched by an increase in crop removal of nitrogen and phosphorus; therefore, fertilizer and crop removal of these nutrients is generally balanced.
There are businesses that have a vested interest in supporting the hog industry. Defending those interests, however, will not help reduce the pollution situation.
Is it hog industry economics vs. the health of Lake Winnipeg? Think about your answer very carefully before you commit a response.
Lake Winnipeg is not polluting itself.
John Fefchak,Virden, Man.
