ST. JEAN BAPTISTE, Man. – Resentment is still smoldering in the farm country south of Winnipeg about the restriction on straw burning.
Farmers at St. Jean Farm Days expressed resentment and resignation about the permit system that is making it hard for farmers to burn residue, and some warned against making it too difficult.
“He’s going to have no choice but to burn it when (he feels) like it and pay a fine,” said one annoyed farmer at a session about the reality of stubble burning in the Red River Valley.
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“It’s unreasonable.”
Others seemed to accept the government policy, which requires farmers to file applications to burn and obey the daily rules on whether weather conditions are right for burning.
“I guess we’ll just have to live with it,” said one.
Straw burning became Manitoba’s biggest and most controversial issue last autumn when both legal and illegal fires reduced visibility on Winnipeg area highways and caused a number of vehicle accidents.
Burning was banned for days after the first incidents, but when burning was approved again, unexpected weather changes and a rush of farmers to burn all at once led to another crisis.
Andrew Nadler, the Manitoba government stubble burning program co-ordinator, urged St. Jean Baptiste farmers to take the permit system seriously and to stop breaking the law.
“The irresponsible farmer has basically made farmers look bad,” said Nadler.
Farmers had better make sure they and their neighbours aren’t burning on no-burn days because pressure is building in Winnipeg to ban the entire practice of straw burning.
“It’s not us saying we don’t want to see burning. It’s the public,” said Nadler.
In a later interview, Nadler said the farmers he spoke to in St. Jean Baptiste aren’t likely to break the rules.
“Most farmers are really good,” he said. “Most of the farmers we talk to aren’t the problem.”
But farmers who do follow the laws and apply for permits need to realize that if other farmers in their area break the law, all farmers could lose the right to burn.
