At a General Council meeting of Keystone Agricultural Producers yesterday, farmers expressed concern over the condition of roads in rural Manitoba.
“Our members are telling me many roads, including those in the southwest area, are deplorable,” said KAP president Dan Mazier. “For example, Highway 10 south of Brandon, the second largest north-south trade route in Manitoba, is crumbling. Speed has to be reduced to 20 or 50 kilometres on some stretches of this highway – and this is certainly not acceptable. Much of Manitoba’s cattle is shipped to the U.S. down this route, and producers are also using it more to ship grain to the U.S. due to our poor rail service. For shippers and residents alike, this road is an accident waiting to happen.”
Mazier also said the length of time it is taking for some roads to be repaired is unreasonable, noting that on Highway 21, bridge repairs took three years. The same thing is happening now on Highway 83. In both instances, the traffic was/is down to one lane.
KAP member representatives to the meeting called on the provincial and federal governments to address southwest Manitoba’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure.
Also at the meeting, members highlighted the need for better biosecurity measures on livestock farms, especially in light of the recent outbreak of avian influenza that has seen cases in neighbouring Minnesota and Ontario. The Manitoba Turkey Producers asked KAP to work with utility, transport and supply companies, as well as government officials and anyone else entering a poultry farm, to follow proper biosecurity protocols.
Other resolutions included a call for the Manitoba government to maintain weed control, via mechanical means where possible, on completed road construction sites until the area has recovered its vegetation.
As well, representatives called on utility companies and oil/gas companies to ensure lines and pipelines on farmlands are buried far enough to accommodate farming practices, and that information on how far down lines and pipelines are buried be made available upon request.
