Groups want government focused on ag

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This article was published 04/10/2023 (1075 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Although Manitoba is commonly known as the breadbasket of Canada and is home to the third-largest farm area in the country, political parties vying to lead Manitoba were relatively quiet about the issues facing the agriculture sector in the leadup to yesterday’s election.

As the Sun previously reported, leaders of the Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats and Liberals all announced their commitment to provide financial support for a new facility for agriculture and education to be built at Assiniboine Community College during a debate hosted by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce at the Keystone Centre.

But for some agriculture and producer groups, there just wasn’t enough talk of agriculture across the board during this year’s provincial election.

“Agriculture had a very, very low profile throughout the campaign,” Charles Fossay, president of Manitoba Canola Growers, told the Sun on Tuesday afternoon.

“There’s a lot of issues out there that we’re dealing with — the environment and greenhouse gas emissions — that weren’t discussed or debated at all, that I heard.”

Although producers make up a small amount of the population — the number of farm operators in Manitoba accounts for 3.4 per cent — the industry itself affects everyone across the province and the country.

“Agriculture is a big economic driver in the province, but seems to have been ignored by all the parties,” Fossay said.

Fossay believes the reason for this is that the Progressive Conservatives can sometimes take rural constituencies for granted, counting on a win in areas where agriculture is the main industry. The New Democrats, on the other hand, are very focused on Winnipeg, he said.

“The Liberals, I also think they’re very focused on the ridings where they can win, which basically would probably be the urban ridings in Winnipeg, if they can win any there at all,” Fossay said.

The best outcome for the election, in Fossay’s opinion, would be to have a minority government, no matter which party wins.

The Progressive Conservatives did make promises to permanently cut in half rental fees for agricultural Crown lands in the lead up to the election, but that would only partially roll back the fee increases that Manitoba producers have faced over the last several years, Manitoba Beef Producers general manager Carson Callum previously told the Sun.

In 2019 and the years following, beef producers saw doubling, if not tripling in some instances of those rental fees, and in light of other market pressures or weather challenges, that really impacted producers’ bottom line.

Yesterday afternoon, Callum said it’s important that all candidates in the provincial election, including in urban constituencies, understand the importance of agriculture in Manitoba.

“We want to be sure that any policies that are made, whether it’s from this government or future governments, consider the real economic driver that agriculture is,” he said.

Although other issues have taken centre stage during this election, Callum does feel positive about the conversations that Manitoba Beef Producers has had with various parties on the importance of agriculture.

“We just hope that now that we’re getting close to the end time here for this election, all producers in their various ridings … get out to vote,” he said.

There are three important things that Manitoba Pork, the group that represents pork producers across the province, will be looking for from whatever government emerges victorious at the polls — collaboration and communication, recognition for the good that the agriculture industry does for the province, especially environmentally, and policies that are more collaborative as opposed to punitive.

Communication is of utmost importance for the sector and the government, Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl told the Sun.

“Things will be a lot more effective if we can talk about proposed policies or proposed legislation and regulation with producers in advance,” he said.

“I think that’s the most important thing that we’re looking for.”

Agriculture has made significant advances when it comes to environmental sustainability, Dahl said, and will only continue to do so. Proper recognition, he added, is well deserved.

“We’re going to continue to go down that path of continuous improvement on the environmental sustainability question, and it’s important that farmers are really a part of that discussion,” he said.

While critics uphold that waste from pigs contributes to groundwater pollution in the forms of groundwater seepage, Manitoba Pork believes that pork producers are excellent stewards of the land. Its website says that pork producers use highly sophisticated techniques and best management practices to reduce odour, greenhouse gases and runoff into waterways.

The use of precision manure applications, which utilize GPS-guided auto-steer tractors for injection, helps to reduce runoff, the website says.

The industry has also helped the local economy, Dahl says.

“I would really ask … the new government for a recognition of the contribution that modern agriculture has made to building our communities and creating jobs and developing our local economy.”

Policies, regulation and legislation across the agriculture industry must be based on well-understood science, Dahl says.

“We need to ensure that our actual regulations and legislation are based on sound science.”

Direct Farm Manitoba is a co-operative of farms and farmers’ markets that works to advance farms and farmers’ markets interests through education and advocacy. Kristie Beynon, Direct Farm Manitoba’s executive director, hopes that regardless of which party wins the election, agriculture continues to be supported, especially when it comes to finding climate solutions.

“We would hope that whatever party comes to power after today, that they would continue to be strong supporters of the agriculture sector, but also to consider climate when we’re making agricultural policies,” Beynon told the Sun Tuesday afternoon. “We would also hope that … local food systems will continue to be prioritized, including food security.”

Costs of operating for livestock producers have risen substantially in the last three years, says Robert Johnson, president of the Manitoba Bison Association.

“Whether it’s interest rates, which are out of the control of the provincial government, or the carbon tax, overall, I feel like we’re kind of being nickeled and dimed with all of our inputs we’re having to buy,” Johnson said.

“That’s probably the biggest complaint our producers have.”

Johnson would also liked to have seen more drought assistance for producers in western Manitoba this past summer.

“A lot of times, if it doesn’t happen within 100 kilometres of … Winnipeg, it doesn’t get on the radar very well,” he said.

Johnson hopes that any decisions the provincial government makes going forward will be made with a nod to producers, and an understanding of the ever-changing dynamics of the industry.

“I would like to see whichever party takes government or resumes governing to be in tune with how fast … we need to make our decisions in this day and age,” he said.

The Sun will follow up with ag groups across the province following the election.

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