Bracing for the brisk expansion expected in Manitoba’s livestock industry, the provincial NDP government announced measures March 3 that it said will help the industry grow while protecting the environment.
“These are the first steps we are taking and there is much more that we have to do,” said agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk.
Called the livestock stewardship initiative, the plan includes increased monitoring of manure storage facilities and greater attention to groundwater and soil quality.
The province also promised new measures to help municipalities cope with planning issues that arise from the burgeoning livestock industry.
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Much of that growth is driven by hog production, but Wowchuk said she expects the cattle industry to grow as well.
Marcel Hacault, a hog producer and chair of the Manitoba Pork Council, described the news as positive.
However, he wonders whether municipal lagoons will be expected to meet the kinds of standards being set for manure storage on hog farms.
“If the NDP are concerned about the environment, as they say they are, they should also look at municipal lagoons.”
The expansion of the hog industry has been met by conflict in several municipalities, especially when landowners oppose plans for a barn in their vicinity.
Bylaws that govern hog barns vary among municipalities. In the past, the conditions that some municipalities have placed on the construction of new barns has been prohibitive.
The province’s effort to help municipalities with land use planning and with updates of their bylaws should benefit the hog industry, Hacault said.
“At least you’d know what the rules are. It might not make it easier to build barns but it might reduce the conflict.”
