Manitoba farmers want the federal government to inject more funding
into the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration for
drought-proofing.
Keystone Agricultural Producers expressed concern last week that Ottawa
has been cutting funding for the agency, which has played an important
role in dugout construction and other water retention projects like
dams, holding ponds and wells.
“I think we need to send a strong message to Ottawa that this is
important to us,” said KAP member Glen Franklin, a cattle and grain
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producer from Deloraine, Man.
“In our part of the province, there is a severe shortage of water in
dugouts.”
Franklin had a dugout that was almost empty this spring, until his area
got a snowfall and some rains.
He has a neighbour whose application for PFRA funding to construct a
dugout was turned down. As a result, the neighbour will likely have to
haul water all summer from a well 10 kilometres from his farm.
Concerned about the lack of moisture in his area this past year,
Franklin also thought about applying to PFRA for funding to build
another dugout on his farm. He abandoned the idea after being told
there was little chance his application would be approved.
“I do think this issue needs to be tackled.”
KAP plans to lobby the federal government to re-establish funding to
the PFRA for drought-proofing. KAP member and Portage la Prairie, Man.,
producer Ian Wishart said the federal government has little
understanding of what PFRA’s role is and should be in the future.
He said restrictions could mean lost opportunities in agriculture if
irrigation and value-added processing can’t develop.
KAP past-president Don Dewar said federal agriculture minister Lyle
Vanclief is not in favour of regional programs that provide a service
to only one part of the country:
“The PFRA is regional and that’s the reason the government restricted
funding.”
If that’s the case, then Ottawa should extend the services of PFRA
nationwide rather than cutting the services it provides on the
Prairies, suggested Franklin.
While some of Manitoba has been deluged with moisture this spring,
there are other areas confronted with drought.
Taking the drought threat into account, KAP will lobby the federal and
provincial governments for feed freight assistance, water hauling
assistance and pumping assistance for affected producers.
KAP also will lobby government for tax consideration for producers
forced to make distress sales of livestock.
