Farmers’ priorities good for all Manitobans, agricultural leader lets politicians know

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This article was published 02/07/2019 (2307 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Farmers are concerned about falling incomes, crumbling roads and provincial funding for education as the Manitoba election looms.

Bill Campbell, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, said farmers saw their net income fall last year by 45 per cent, the largest drop since 2006.

Farm expenses climbed by more than six per cent over the same period, he told a news conference in Winnipeg Tuesday that was designed to alert provincial politicians about agricultural issues.

“It is imperative that the next provincial government focuses on a real plan for our sector that ensures we have a steady, reliable, cost-effective food source for years to come,” he told reporters on the south lawn of the Manitoba Legislative Building grounds.

Campbell, whose family has farmed south of Brandon near Minto for 137 years, said road maintenance is a big issue in rural Manitoba.

He said some roads are in such bad shape that they restrict farmers’ choices in marketing their products.

“Roads that are not maintained mean less economic growth and less investment in Manitoba. A lack of efficient movement on Manitoba roads adds costs to Manitoba farmers and limits market access,” he said.

“The $350-million-a-year provincial spending on infrastructure does not come close to dealing with the $11-billion infrastructure deficit our province is faced with.”

Rural Manitobans are also concerned about a disproportionately high share of education that is paid through municipal tax bills, Campbell said.

“Over the last seven years the municipal contribution to education funding has increased by over 50 per cent while the provincial government’s share of education funding has gone down,” the farm leader said.

“We need an education funding system that works on improving outcomes, with steady, predictable funding provided by the province and not by property owners.”

He said the upcoming provincial election, slated for Sept. 10, provides an opportunity for rural Manitobans to ask their candidates about their plan for agriculture.

He said the industry represents more than $6 billion to the Manitoba economy and employs more than 35,000 Manitobans.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca