| Manitoba Hog Industry - Brought To A Halt? | 02 April 08 |
 A government regulation under the Environment Act for a moratorium on new hog barns and manure storage facilities in the Red River valley, and zones identified in an earlier announcement takes effect April 2008. Permits for pig manure storage facilities; pig barns, and barn expansions are temporarily suspended until August 31, 2008. New legislation will be introduced in spring 2008. The legislation is expected to replace the interim regulation. Areas with intensive hog operations are of greatest concern because hog barns are too close together or the land is prone to widespread flooding - threatening watershed health and sensitive ecologies including wetlands. Manitoba Pork Council, Keystone Agriculture Producers and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce seek to have the regulation reversed. Industry leaders say the moratorium will lower farm values in the affected regions and may end any opportunity to attract a new processing plant to the province. Meanwhile the hog industry in Manitoba is facing economic challenges, with a new provincial program to encourage downsizing of operations. Glen Koroluk, spokesman for the group Beyond Factory Farming, wants the provincial auditor to investigate the Clean Environment Commission research and hearings. Some critics of this decision wish to see the moratorium apply to the whole province, as it did during interim measures prior to the CEC hearings, and report. View March 25, 2008 Manitoba Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation, amendment (PDF) View December 2007 CEC report (PDF) View March 5, 2008 Manitoba Eco-Network press conference backgrounder View March 19, 2008 Farmscape press release View March 4, 2008 Winnipeg Free Press article View March 2, 2008 Canadian Press article View March 5, 2008 CBC article Visit Manitoba Wildlands section on Manitoba Water Projects Sources: Government of Manitoba, Farmscape, Winnipeg Free Press, The Canadian Press, CBC |
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