Many Manitoba farmers are watching the provincial election campaign, hoping to hear promises for improving agricultural challenges and fearing that farmers might be targeted for perceived problems.
The Progressive Conservative government is fighting what polls say is an uphill battle to retain power, while New Democratic Party is trying to lock down what many polls suggest will be an easy win.
Meanwhile, the Liberal party is struggling to gain enough seats to gain official party status in the legislature.
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Agricultural issues are not likely to take centre stage.
Manitoba’s main farm and agricultural industry groups submitted questions they wanted to see answered to the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters association for their Sept. 12 election forum.
These are some issues raised:
- Education tax on farmland
Farmer organizations have long fought to have the school portion of property taxes removed from farmland. The PC government has been reducing education taxes on property, with about half of it removed now.
What commitments will the various parties make to eliminate the rest of the farmland tax?
- Support for agriculture
Farmers and agriculture often struggle with misperceptions about elements of contemporary agriculture, including pesticide use, intensive livestock production, environmental impacts, treatment of foreign workers and genetically modified crops.
How will the parties deal with misconceptions and misunderstandings about modern farming methods and technologies?
- International trade
Manitoba’s export-oriented farm industries, such as grains and oilseeds, hogs and cattle, hope to see the next Manitoba government support international trade deals that provide better access to foreign markets.
Manitoba’s supply-managed farm industries, such as dairy, eggs, chicken and turkey, want to see the next Manitoba government ensure that the federal government does not open up any more of their industries’ domestic markets to foreign products.
How will each party treat these competing demands?
- Labour
Most of Manitoba’s farm industries are short workers and struggle to operate at full capacity.
What will the next Manitoba government do to improve the chronic shortages of workers?
- Agricultural research and investment
The federal government has been reducing its investment in crop variety development and the situation appears to be worsening as it reduces its interest in farmer-focused research. What will the parties do to defend variety development funding if they are elected and able to speak with Ottawa one-on-one?
- Rural crime
With farmers and rural communities facing a perceived increase in both property and violent crime, and policing resources getting stretched, what would the various parties do to better protect farmers and rural people?
- Healthcare
Rural medical care is becoming a bigger challenge for farmers as smaller facilities close and services are concentrated in bigger centres. What would each party do to ensure farmers have access to necessary medical care?
Contact ed.white@producer.com
