Farmscape for March 4, 2008  (Episode 2771)

Manitoba Conservation has announced indefinite moratoriums on the construction of new or expanded hog operations in three regions of the province and new environmental restrictions in areas where expansion will be allowed.

Yesterday the provincial government released the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission's final report on the Environmental Sustainability of Hog Production in Manitoba.

The report contains a 48 recommendations dealing with everything from regulations governing livestock manure and nutrient management to support for environmental research to assistance for producers adopting new environmental management practices and technologies.

Manitoba Conservation minister Stan Struthers says the province will replace its temporary pause on expanded production with permanent moratoriums in three regions.

Clip-Stan Struthers-Manitoba Conservation Minister

We asked the Clean Environment Commission in 2006 to take a look at the hog industry in particular to see if it is environmentally sustainable and they came back to us and they very clearly said that not every region was in a position to be environmentally sustainable.

So what we've proposed are there are three moratoriums, one on an area of southeast Manitoba which is really intensely developed with hog barns.

Another one in the central region which is the Red River, the special management area that was there, the Capital Region of Winnipeg.

And the third one was the Interlake with very sensitive soil, water that's in very close proximity to both Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg.

Also, with lifting the pause in the other parts of agro-Manitoba with a new set of frameworks in place that the CEC has proposed.

Public comment on the proposed changes will be accepted for the next two weeks and the new legislation will officially take effect in July.

Struthers notes the province will be working with producers to make sure the decisions being made are understood and to assist as they adjust to the changes.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council