KAP Applauds New Manitoba Budget

CANADA - The President of Keystone Agricultural Producers describes Manitoba's new budget as neutral to positive for the agriculture sector, writes Bruce Cochrane.
calendar icon 12 April 2017
clock icon 2 minute read
Manitoba Pork Council


Farm-Scape is sponsored by
Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork

FarmScape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council
and Sask Pork.

Manitoba unveiled its new provincial budget yesterday.

KAP President Dan Mazier says, amid talk of austerity and cutbacks to slay the deficit, agriculture fared well and there are aspects to help grow agriculture.

Dan Mazier-Keystone Agricultural Producers

The Livestock Strategy, I think that was building on what the minister originally made in his first days of being a minister and trying to work toward building a livestock herd and making sure the livestock and processing is enhanced in Manitoba to grow Manitoba.

Having that overall strategy worked on I think is a very positive move.

That particular strategy works very well with our federal budget that mentioned agriculture and how food processing is so important to building the country's economy as well.

Between the federal budget and the provincial budget those are two budgets that, I can never recall agriculture being mentioned in recent memory and we've got it in as many weeks so I think we're doing pretty good that way.

I think governments are starting to realize that there is a lot of potential in agriculture and this government seems to be supporting it.

Their tag line is Made in Manitoba and the other one you'll hear a lot of is the most improved province.

There was another mention in the budget about infrastructure and a strategic infrastructure investment of almost a billion dollars.

I think that is long overdue.

We always complain that there's no money and we need roads fixed.

If we know why roads aren't getting fixed or why certain roads are getting fixed to build the economy in Manitoba so we can get our products to market, it should at the end of the day bode very well for not only agriculture but for all of Manitoba.

Mr Mazier says the changes represent baby steps but should send us in the right direction as far as growing Manitoba.

TheCattleSite News Desk

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.