Manitoba’s NDP government maintained its tradition of safe and bland economic policy with the provincial budget announced March 25, said the vice-president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers.
“Basically, this was a typical Manitoba budget with its steady course and no dramatic shifts,” said Rob Brunel. “Most of it was not a big surprise.”
However, the province’s 2009 budget did include a few nuggets of good news for Manitoba’s farmers, Brunel added.
The Farmland School Tax Rebate was increased to 75 percent from 70 percent, a move that will save Manitoba producers nearly$3 million, said agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk.
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“Last year we budgeted $30 million (for the rebate) and this year we’re budgeting almost $33 million,” she said.
Manitoba finance minister Greg Selinger announced two other programs to reduce the tax load on producers.
The government has doubled the riparian tax credit for farmers who take steps to protect land adjacent to rivers, streams and lakes. Selinger also made permanent the retail sales tax exemption for manure slurry tanks.
On the spending side, Wowchuk said the province will open an agricultural extension office in Thompson.
“We all know that fresh food is important and transportation is a big cost in getting food into northern communities,” she said. “We’ve been working very hard with communities… to help them with small greenhouses. But there is a need for more co-ordination and that’s why we’ve said we’re going to establish this Go centre in northern Manitoba.”
Although the government also committed to help farmers comply with nutrient management regulations, Brunel said he was disappointed by the absence of comprehensive support for livestock producers.
“We’d like to see the province address the critical economic downturn livestock producers are facing,” he said.
Ralph Eichler, Progressive Conservative MLA from Lakeside, said agriculture’s contributions to the province’s economy were once again ignored in this budget .
“All the people in the know feel that agriculture is what’s going to sustain the economy in this time of uncertainty. To ignore it… was unacceptable,” said Eichler, the Tories’ ag critic.
He acknowledged the increase in the Farm Education Tax Rebate was a step in the right direction. But when the Saskatchewan government increased its agriculture spending by $177 million a week before Manitoba’s budget, it was a striking contrast in priorities, Eichler said.
“We’re still sitting at $225 million for an agricultural budget (in Manitoba),” he said, compared to what is now $483 million in Saskatchewan.
“Agriculture has such a huge impact on Manitoba, I’m very disappointed they (the NDP) haven’t taken the initiative to see that we remain strong.”
