Crumbling roads and rules for livestock developments were among the issues Manitoba farmers dealt with last week during the annual meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
With the Prairie Grain Roads program winding up this year, a new and increased commitment of federal money is needed to support roads used to haul grain and other farm products, said Starbuck, Man., producer Chuck Fossay.
“I think we’re all aware our road infrastructure continues to crumble,” said Fossay.
He urged KAP to lobby for a new federal commitment of at least $33 million over the next five years to support a program like Prairie Grain Roads, which also saw funding from the province and municipalities.
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Producers are also concerned about rules for expanding or building new livestock operations.The Manitoba government last year abandoned Bill 40, a piece of legislation that would have changed how the province and local governments locate and approve intensive livestock developments.
Weldon Newton, a former KAP president, urged the group to lobby the province to take full responsibility for environmental issues arising from land use planning related to agriculture.
He said municipal governments are not always best equipped to assess the environmental aspects of a development and several have passed bylaws that make it difficult for livestock producers to expand or build new operations. Farmers in municipalities with prohibitive bylaws are at a disadvantage, he said.
KAP endorsed a resolution that makes the province responsible for the environmental issues related to land use planning. Newton said there still would be room for rural municipalities to designate what areas in their boundaries are suited for livestock development versus residential development.
