Manitoba’s agriculture minister has promised a clampdown is not in the wind as the province reviews the municipal and environmental guidelines for livestock production.
“It won’t be a top-down approach where we say, ‘Thou shalt do this,’ ” said agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk.
She said the review is needed at a time when farmers, plagued by low grain prices, are looking at more livestock production. She expects continued expansion in cattle, hogs and poultry.
“We know this is going to happen and we want to make sure it happens in a sustainable way.”
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Maple Leaf Pork is expected to launch a second shift at its Brandon plant within five years. Meanwhile, J.M. Schneider is contemplating an expansion at its Winnipeg plant.
Those projects, when completed, could push the demand for hogs in Manitoba to 10 million animals. That’s double the number of hogs now produced in the province.
However, Wowchuk said hog production won’t be singled out during the review. The agriculture minister said her announcement does not suggest problems with the livestock industry in Manitoba. The goal is to avoid them in the future.
“This is a proactive approach. This is very much planning ahead to the next stage.”
The province wants to work with municipalities on land use policies. It will also look at the guidelines for soil and water testing.
Gerry Friesen, chair of the Manitoba Pork Marketing Co-op, wonders whether the review might lead to added costs for family hog farms.
He agrees soil testing is in everyone’s best interest. But if more monitoring is needed, he does not want the cost passed on to family farms.
He also hopes the province will stick to its promise of looking beyond the hog industry: “I think we have to make sure all commodities get addressed equally.”
No date was set for when the review will be complete. Wowchuk said she will meet soon with some “key players” such as the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to set the process in motion. Producers, municipalities and the public will be among those included in the review.
Bill Turnock, chair of the advisory Manitoba Environmental Council, has argued for years that the province needs to look at how much livestock expansion the province can sustain.
He was encouraged by Wowchuk’s comments, but said the effort will be moot unless the province plans to spend more on education and enforcement.
Wowchuk said last week her department is willing to reallocate resources if that appears necessary.
Turnock suggested that municipalities need a way to develop accurate risk maps. Those maps would reveal areas more sensitive to livestock expansion than others. He said municipalities can be tempted by the promise of jobs and tax revenue from additional hog barns. However, he believes there should be a limit on how many barns are built within certain jurisdictions.
“I don’t believe there’s anything in Manitoba’s regulations that would prevent one municipality from bringing in 40 hog barns.”
