Manitoba’s agriculture minister says society has a role to play in helping the province’s pork producers adjust to new environmental regulations.
Yesterday delegates attending Manitoba Pork Council’s annual general meeting in Winnipeg passed a resolution calling for the elimination of education taxes on pork production facilities and asked for a deferral of payments and interest rate reductions on loans provided through the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and a delay in implementing a planned ban on winter manure spreading from 2013 to 2018.
Agriculture minister Stan Struthers says we have to keep in mind the elimination of winter spreading is a public good that the province’s tax payers are justified in helping hog producers attain.
In several budgets we have set aside money to do just that.
I also have heard from hog producers that no matter what the amount of money there are some logistical very practical problems facing them in terms of hitting that 2013 date so we will have to take a look at that.
For the short term right now I think we have to be flowing money to producers to help then get set up for the 2013 deadline.
That’s our first priority, getting farmers to meet those deadlines.
I have to also say that, despite all of that, Manitoba producers whether they be hog producers or others need to be given credit for the environmental good decisions that they’ve made whether it be today in 2010 or back through the generations.
I’m a firm believer that farmers make good environmental decisions and we as a provincial government need to work with them to ensure that continues to happen.
Struthers says eliminating the education tax on pork production facilities will be tough to justify but there is potential for MASC loan payment adjustments.
He says that is something that is doable but it’s too early to make any announcements.
Source: Farmscape.Ca
