WINNIPEG – Stan Yaskiw doesn’t know whether the Manitoba government is right or wrong when it promises a dual marketing system for hogs will attract more investment to the province’s industry.
But he told premier Gary Filmon in no uncertain terms that he’s insulted the government didn’t ask producers before taking away the monopoly marketing power of Manitoba Pork.
“I don’t think in my professional career as a farmer I’ve ever had such disrespect paid to me,” Yaskiw told Filmon, who spoke at the Manitoba Pool Elevators annual meeting.
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“We built this industry and we did a fine job. What did we ever do to you to have that kind of disrespect paid to us and to come into our industry and dictate to us what’s going to happen?”
Yaskiw, who farms near Birtle, said he wants more information about what dual marketing will mean to the small producer. The government told Manitoba Pork on Oct. 30 that it will soon allow producers to cut their own deals with processors.
Filmon told producers he would meet with Manitoba Pork, but that in the end, the government would exercise its best judgment. He said that long-term contracts between producers and processors have worked for other commodities like potatoes, sugar beets, special crops and pregnant mare’s urine.
But he said the government wants to encourage large operations and new pork processors to move into the province.
“If we’re going to attract the kind of major capital investment for a hog processing operation, we can’t put those investors in a situation whereby they could have their supply of hogs cut off arbitrarily,” Filmon told reporters.
Ken Foster, chair of Manitoba Pork, said he saw Filmon make this explanation on television, and doesn’t understand what Filmon is talking about.
“To the best of my knowledge, within our organization, we have never, ever done that to any processor, and we don’t intend to,” Foster said.
Manitoba Pool delegates later passed a resolution expressing their support for a plebiscite on the issue. Delegate Chuck Fossay from Starbuck noted that Manitoba Pork is producer-driven, just like Manitoba Pool. “I’m really afraid that (the government’s decision) sort of sets a precedent,” he said.
Keystone Agricultural Producers also issued a statement expressing “shock and skepticism” about the government’s decision. President Les Jacobson met with Enns shortly after the announcement to urge him to let producers have a vote.
The Canadian Pork Council, National Farmers Union and NDP agriculture critic Rosann Wowchuk have also urged the government to reconsider.
