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Farm-Scape, Episode 2255

The Manitoba Conservative party suggests a Clean Environment Commission review of the hog industry is fair but a moratorium on new barn development is not.

A Manitoba government imposed "pause" on new or expanded hog barns will remain in effect while the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission examines the environmental sustainability of the industry and evaluates pending legislation designed to protect the water.

Opposition water stewardship critic Cliff Cullen says the government water protection has been mismanaged from the start and the pause appears to be politically motivated and designed to drive a wedge between rural and urban voters.

I think we all recognize that we want to deal with our water and our environment in a sound manner and I think we all like to have things reviewed as we go forward.

I think the hog industry, in fact, was prepared to go before the Clean Environment Commission and have them do an analysis of their particular industry.

I think other industries would probably be willing to step up to the plate and go through a review.

The question is putting a moratorium in place while you do that.

What it really does is it sends a bad message to the industry, it adds to that degree of uncertainty in the industry.

We've just come through the BSE situation where there's been a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the beef industry and now we've got the government imposing a similar uncertainty out there in that particular industry and it's tough decisions for farm families to make going ahead."

Cullen fears, with the moratorium in place, investment that was going to Manitoba may go to other provinces which could hamper the long term sustainability of the industry in Manitoba.

He points out Saskatchewan is certainly open for business and willing to take on the investment to develop both barns and new processing capacity.

Staff Farmscape.Ca