Thousands of cattle have been relocated this year due to flooding in areas such as the Lake Manitoba inundation zone, the Shoal lakes and others, and this disaster is far from over. The ranchers understand that the NDP government made decisions to protect others by flooding them. However, the NDP also made promises to help them, but so far little action has been taken to help them prepare for what is about to unfold this fall.
Due to continuing high water levels, many of these cattle won’t be going home this fall. Roads and wintering facilities remain inaccessible or unusable, and there is no way to move cattle or feed into the normal wintering areas.
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In approximately three months, thousands of cattle will either have to be moved again to temporary facilities or the herds will have to be liquidated, affecting producers’ livelihoods. Wintering and calving facilities require a source of shelter, handling equipment, hydro service and water. Producers need to secure these sites and to start setting them up. The window of opportunity to address this serious situation is shrinking every day. The NDP have promised that ranchers affected by the man-made flood would be looked after, but tremendous uncertainty remains. Communications with affected producers remains poor.
With an election coming this fall, cattle ranchers fear they will be forgotten. The ranchers need clarity from the minister of agriculture on this situation and they need it now so they can make herd management decisions. They simply cannot feed their animals or calve their cows with weak, poorly thought out election promises.
Stuart Briese, MLA,PC Emergency Measures Critic, Ste. Rose, Man.
Cliff Graydon,PC Agriculture Critic, Emerson, Man.
