Which way do we turn next?
That’s a question farmers in western Manitoba confront as the winds of change howl through.
Guy Baudry and Jeff Lawson are among those watching the changes unfold. But they are optimistic.
Baudry and Lawson are members of the agriculture committee for the Brandon Economic Development Board. The committee searches for ideas and opportunities that will benefit farmers and communities in the region.
“The group offers a way for people to get together and brainstorm on the future directions of the industry,” said Baudry, who is also director of Westman operations for Elite Swine, a swine production company based in Landmark, Man.
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“Once you start looking for what the opportunities are, you’ll find them.”
The committee includes a cross-section of people involved in agriculture. Formed in 1996, it provides a way to share ideas, information and contacts that will foster economic growth. It also attempts to identify barriers to economic development and possible solutions.
“I think it’s a great time to be in agriculture,” said Lawson, past-chair of the agriculture committee. “The opportunities are huge, they’re tremendous.”
The impact of losing the Crow benefit subsidy is starting to sink in, especially with this year’s poor world grain market. The conditions underscore the need for more intensive farm production and more value-added ventures, said Baudry.
“I think we’re going to alter the use of our resource, and that resource is land. Instead of just getting larger, as the grain farm has been doing, it will become more intense.”
A new wave of swine barns is already starting to spread across western Manitoba. New feedlots are also being built or planned. The agriculture committee expects to see poultry gain more prominence. At the same time, it believes irrigation will be used to expand crops such as potatoes.
The diversification will create more opportunities for people involved in areas such as biotechnology, DNA genetic mapping and disease prevention in livestock and crops, predicted Lawson. He also foresees a resurgence of ventures such as flour mills.
“The spinoff is already happening,” he said.
The most recent proof of that came in September when a Dutch company announced plans to manufacture livestock ventilation equipment at Brandon. Installatie Techniek Boxmeer, a company that specializes in products for ventilation and heating in agricultural buildings, said it would invest $1 million to built a plant.
Meanwhile, Maple Leaf Meats is continuing construction of its $112 million hog processing plant at Brandon and efforts are under way to revive the former Burns meat processing plant, within view of the city’s downtown.
“There’s just a whole bunch of products we’re importing into the community that I think could be locally made in the Westman,” Lawson said. “There’s a whole myriad of things that entrepreneurs and individuals can get involved in.”
