Farm and beef groups pleased with NDP budget
The provincial government has made the importance of agriculture clear in its newly released budget, the president of Keystone Agricultural Producers says.
“It’s got lots of good announcements for agriculture,” Jill Verwey told the Sun. “I think it puts us in a good place going forward working with the current government to realize full support for agriculture in Manitoba.”
Verwey, the president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), said some highlights for agriculture in the provincial budget announced Tuesday include keeping the 50 per cent Farmland School Tax Rebate and more funding to open more Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) centres.
“Producers were concerned with the number of closures that happened in the past,” Verwey said.
The previous provincial government, the Progressive Conservatives, shut down two M ASC offices, which offer insurance, lending, and services such as rebate programs, wildlife damage compensation plans, management programs, inspection services and more.
Verwey is also pleased to see $146.9 million earmarked across Manitoba’s Business Risk Management programs for producers, which includes $91.9 million for AgriInsurance, offering protection against losses from severe weather and natural hazards. Additionally, $5.2 million is designated for Wildlife Damage Compensation, $33.8 million for AgriStability to mitigate income declines from various factors and $16 million for AgriInvest to aid producers in income management and risk mitigation efforts.
Protection for wildlife predation is something that Manitoba producers have sought for quite some time, Verwey said.
The Province of Manitoba has also decided to freeze agricultural Crown lands rental costs.
“That was something we’ve been advocating for,” Verwey said.
In addition to other budget announcements aimed at lowering costs for Manitoba families, the province announced that it will increase loans and minimize upfront financing costs for young farmers (under 40), something Verwey said is helpful for the industry. The loan amount eligible under the Young Farmers Rebate has moved up to $300,000 in the new budget from $200,000.
Going forward, Verwey says KAP would like to
see further investment in infrastructure and highways.
“We’re going to see more and more trucks on the road and more investment in agriculture … then that’s going to place pressure on infrastructure, whether that’s roads, highways, water supplies, all of those things,” she said. “There has to be a plan in place to address those and keep them up to date.”
KAP also applauded the provincial budget’s focus on the health-care sector and in tackling rural crime, Verwey said. The organization will continue to collaborate with the provincial government to identify any gaps in the budget and provide input for future plans, she added.
In a press release issued Wednesday, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) President Matthew Atkinson said he’s also pleased with some key commitments in the provincial budget that are important to the beef sector. These include increased funding for the Livestock Predation Prevention Strategy, the implementation of the Veterinary Medical Service Strategy to address the province’s shortage of veterinarians and the freeze on rental costs for agricultural Crown lands.
“MBP has done considerable advocacy work on matters like these given their importance to our members, so seeing them singled out in the budget is important,” Atkinson said.
Other budget announcements that beef producers will find helpful, he added, include the extension of the gas tax cut to the end of September, keeping the School Tax Rebate for farm properties and the re-opening of the MASC service centres. The creation of a new value-added strategy for Manitoba farm products and more apprenticeship training seats are also positive outcomes of the 2024 budget, MBP said.
Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun
