Delegates to Keystone Agricultural Producers’ spring advisory council meeting this past week passed 10 resolutions – including two that address plastic waste from grain bags, silage covers and bale covers, as well as seed fertilizer and pesticide containers.
Delegates called on KAP to work with Cleanfarms Manitoba and other interested stakeholders to increase the number of collection sites for these items.
They also called for KAP to lobby the province to include plastic bag rollers as a beneficial management practice under the new Ag Action Manitoba program, eligible for 50 per cent in funding. Rollers are required to package plastic bag waste for recycling.
“This is a clear indication of farmers’ concerns for the environment, and their will to do their part to protect it,” said KAP president Dan Mazier.
Other resolutions addressed rail transportation, one calling on KAP to lobby the federal government, railways and grain companies to work together to identify and fix the existing bottlenecks in the grain transportation system.
The other asked KAP to lobby the province to create a division of Manitoba Infrastructure to support shortline railways and develop new opportunities for them, as well as to lobby the federal and provincial governments to fund infrastructure projects on shortline railways.
“Shortline railways provide farmers with grain-shipping alternatives, and we need government support for them,” said Mazier. “Saskatchewan has a program for this and I see no reason why Manitoba shouldn’t.”
Delegates to the meeting also reviewed growing conditions from across the province, and most indicated that moisture is needed for seeding.
The guest speaker at the meeting was Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler, who told delegates that under the new Ag Action Manitoba program the province hopes to start funding projects in the next few months, with application approvals much faster than with previous programs.
