Today is the first half day of the Keystone Agricultural Producers convention in Winnipeg. Look here for tidbits I’ll throw up as speakers speak and talk is talked.
FLOODING IN MANITOBA FROM SASK ILLEGAL DRAINAGE?
A farmer asked if the government will investigate illegal drainage in eastern Saskatchewan causing flooding in and around Fishing Lake. Kostyshyn said watershed management is important now. “The day has come” for integrated watershed management.
CARBON TAXES
Manitoba Government has imposed taxes on coal to limit use. Are there plans for more carbon taxes and carbon credits, and who pays and gets them? Question from a farmer to the new Ag Minister of Manitoba.
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Agriculture needs to prepare for government spending cuts
As government makes necessary cuts to spending, what can be reduced or restructured in the budgets for agriculture?
NEW AG MIN TALKS
Ron Kostyshyn, Manitoba’s new ag minister, is talking. Flood and compensation issues, better conditions in the cattle production sector, Maple Leaf Winnipeg expansion, “helping (hog) producers to adapt to environmental” regulations, COOL, “new techniques, new crops,” new methods, food safety, biomass support from the government, CWB “new reality” means “we need to move forward” and asking support for CWB with money and regulations to guarantee access to storage and handling, Churchill support.
STATE OF THE PROVINCE
President Doug Chorney is tying up his president’s remarks, noting challenges from flooding to the CWB issue to safety nets.
On the CWB: “This was a tremendous policy challenge for us.” KAP had members on both sides of the issue, and no easy consensus, so the issue caused much consternation. KAP supported a farmer vote, but once the die was cast by the government, KAP backed away from the issue. This upset some, but pleased others who thought KAP needs to not take sides on issues farmers are profoundly divided on.
ON THE GOVT COAL BAN
The Manitoba government has imposed a coal tax on farmers, and is banning coal-fired energy on-farm after 2014. This will hurt hundreds of farmers, who use much coal. Chorney said: “This is difficult for producers.”
