The council's announcement yesterday follows the provincial government's indefinite moratorium implemented on 3 March, banning new or expanding hog operations in the province's southeastern area, Red River Valley and Interlake regions. These locations are the primary locations for pig production in the province.

"That funding has been put on hold for now so we can re-evaluate where we spend hog farmers' money," said MPC vice-chairman Bryan Ferriss, who farms near Swan River, an area outside the three affected regions.

He said that the council may be forced to put out its own permanent moratorium on environmental research funding. The organisation had previously budgeted $583,000, collected from hog producers, for research funding during 2008. Beneficiaries were to have included the University of Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative and Prairie Swine Centre. This is now under review in terms of the project content and objectives.