Manitoba’s environment department is thinking about putting a freeze on the steaming, tell-tale brown tracks of winter manure spreading.
In January, the department started to review the province’s three-year-old livestock waste regulations because of increasing numbers of complaints about manure, and problems it has had enforcing the regulations.
Dennis Brown, who is leading the review, said Manitoba has space for more livestock operations but the government wants to make sure regulations ensure responsible development.
“We’re looking at the long-term horizon here, and we certainly don’t want to end up like some of the other jurisdictions, particularly in Europe, the U.S. and eastern Canada,” Brown said.
Read Also
Spider mites big soybean problem this season
Spider mite issues have been geographically limited but significant where they occur, said John Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture.
Manure handling and waste management from expected increases in the size and intensity of prairie livestock operations are a growing issue across the region.
In Manitoba, regulators sent ideas on changes to farmers, environmental groups and other government departments in a questionnaire.
The survey queried about putting manure application guidelines into the regulations, methods of spreading manure and licensing custom manure applicators.
“It truly is our first thoughts,” Brown said. “We have no hidden agenda. We wanted to hear what people said about this issue so we could better reflect that in the re-drafted regulation.”
Brown received more than 200 replies, but is keeping mum on the details until the department meets with an advisory group. The process was delayed by the Red River Valley flood.
But some farm groups aren’t shy about saying they’re cool to the department’s ideas on winter spreading.
In the survey, the department referred to its study of snow and spring runoff near Silver and Hodgson, Man., in the Interlake region.
Staff found more nitrogen and phosphorus in ditches downstream from the winter-spread fields than in control fields.
At high levels, the nutrients encourage growth of algae and plants that can choke rivers.
But farmers like David Rolfe can’t see continuing to farm without spreading manure on winter fields.
“I just don’t have the storage,” the Elgin, Man. hog farmer said. “And there’s hundreds of other small operations in Manitoba … who are in the same position.”
Rolfe said the department shouldn’t draw too many conclusions from its study, which looked only at a small area.
A coalition of farm groups suggests producers, governments and the University of Manitoba fund a broader, more independent study.
While large livestock operations can afford long-term storage lagoons, Rolfe said small farmers cannot.
“If we’re forced into a situation where we have to invest tens of thousands of dollars in storage for 400 days, it’s just not possible. The returns just aren’t there.”
