Preamble: On November 8, 2006 the Manitoba Minister of Conservation made a request to the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) to investigate the environmental stability of hog production in Manitoba.

The Minister released the report of the CEC on March 3, 2008, at the same time announcing a further halt to industry expansion in:

• Southeastern Manitoba
• The Red River Valley Special Management Zone: This area includes the Capital Region of the province.
• The Interlake:  This region borders on Lake Winnipeg to the east and Lake Manitoba to the west. 

New and expanding hog operations in the rest of the province were allowed subject to new, stricter requirements as recommended by the CEC.

While the CEC made 48 recommendations, it did not recommend an outright ban on hog expansion in any area of Manitoba.

Further, the CEC report stated:

The challenge for the government will be to develop an implementation strategy that works with producers and other members of society to ensure the industry’s social and economic sustainability. In those areas where nutrient production is currently out of balance with the environment’s ability to remove those nutrients, the province and producers must move quickly and cooperatively to bring production into balance within the next five years. (p. 153) 

The bans announced were not done in cooperation or consultation with the industry. 

The CEC reported that Manitoba’s hog-production and processing industry generates 7,500 jobs in Manitoba (hog farming plus direct estimate for packing); total wages, contract benefits and other income of $610-million; and total economic activity of $2 billion.

Resolution: That the Government of Manitoba:

a) immediately end the current moratorium on expansion of the hog industry in Manitoba; and

b) work with hog industry as the government seeks to implement the recommendations of the CEC.

Resolution Report: 

MCC Advocacy (additions since last report are in italics):

May 21, 2008: An MCC ‘Inside the Chamber’ Web Story entitled “IT HAPPENED AT THE AGM: PART 3 – MCC Announces Resolutions For 2008-2009″ provided access to each and every Resolution passed at the AGM. Notice of this story was circulated through the MCC e-Omnibus which is sent to all MCC members, Media and Government.

May 23, 2008: Met with the Manitoba Pork Council in relation to this matter.

June 4, 2008: For the first time ever the MCC made available its handbook on ‘Policies & Resolutions’ which contains Resolutions in one handy format. An MCC ‘Inside the Chamber’ Web Story entitled “MCC Releases Policy Handbook” announced this initiative. Notice of this story was circulated through the MCC e-Omnibus which is sent to all MCC members, Media and Government.

June 6, 2008: The MCC presented both a written and oral presentation to the Law Amendments Review Committee on Bill 17 ‘The Environment Amendment Act’ The submission both reproduced and echoed the MCC’s Resolution on this matter.

June 6, 2008: Resolution books were sent to every MLA and every Member of Parliament that hails from Manitoba. The following had this Resolution specifically drawn to their attention with a detailed letter setting out the background to this issue, Government initiatives (where applicable), and an argument for the Resolution:

• Premier
• Minister of Conservation
• Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives

June 19, 2008: Wrote to the Manitoba Pork Council and the Keystone Agricultural Producers, offering to continue to work cooperatively on this issue.

June 26, 2008: An MCC ‘Inside the Chamber’ Web Story entitled “MCC Makes Elections Submission” provided access to the MCC’s submission and the Resolution on this matter. For the first time ever the web coverage included MCC TV video commentary from the MCC at the legislature. Notice of this story was circulated through the MCC e-Omnibus which is sent to all MCC members, Media and Government.

July 11, 2008: Again wrote to the Minister of Conservation in relation to this matter.

July 24, 2008: Spoke to the Manitoba Pork Council about this matter.

July 28, 2008: Met with the Minister of Conservation on this matter. The MCC pointed out two provisions in Bill 17, The Environment Amendment Act (Permanent Ban On Building Or Expanding Hog Facilities):

Permit for confined livestock area

40.1(3)     The director may, in accordance with the regulations, issue a permit authorizing modifications to a confined livestock area for pigs to make the manner of handling manure more environmentally sound in the director’s opinion.  [Emphasis added]

 And

No increase in animal units allowed

40.1(5)     The director must not issue a permit under clause (2)(b), (c) or (d) or subsection (3) or (4) authorizing modifications or construction that results in an increase in the number of animal units capable of being handled by the livestock operation. [Emphasis added]

We wondered why the Government didn’t combine the two provisions so that an increase in animal units would be permitted if it could be demonstrated that it was “more environmentally sound”. We pointed to a number of examples where increasing scale would make possible the costs of environmental upgrades and therefore actually make the operations “more environmentally sound”. We also mentioned a number of evolving technologies and developments that could enable larger units to in fact be “more environmentally sound”.

The Minister responded that he is canvassing opinions through the Bill 17 consultations and was not closed to such a change.

July 29, 2008: Spoke to the Manitoba Pork Council in relation to this matter.

August 11, 2008: Communicated with the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses on this matter.

September 15, 2008: Participated in the Manitoba Pork Council’s media conference during which it proposed the “zero percent solution.” The Zero Per Cent Solution proposes that new and expanding operations:

Limit manure application on crop land for new or expanding operations to a rate of 1x phosphorus removal (a rate at which the crop will use all phosphorus in the manure applied to the ground over five years);

Not apply manure in the winter to reduce runoff; and

Require that manure be incorporated into the ground either through direct injection or through working it in within 48 hours.

September 16, 2008: The MCC attended “Cultivating a Sustainable Pork Industry in Manitoba”, an event put on by the Business Council of Manitoba. 

September 16, 2008: In light of the Minister of Conservation’s apparent objection of the “zero percent solution” the MCC forward its own proposal to the Premier of Manitoba, the Conservation Minister, the Manitoba Pork Council, the Manitoba Business Council, Hugh McFadyen, Leader of the Official Opposition, and Jon Gerrard leader of the Provincial Liberal Party.

September 21, 2008: Posted a video on MCC TV featuring the September 15 media conference and the MCC’s new proposal.  

September 26, 2008: Notice of the MCCTV feature was circulated through the MCC e-Omnibus which is sent to all MCC members, Media and Government.

September 24, 2008: Addressed a rally at the legislature, calling on the government to listen to reason and amend Bill 17. The event was covered by the media and the MCC was interviewed.

September 29, 2008: Wrote to the sponsoring chambering in relation to this matter.

October 1, 2008: Posted a video on MCCTV featuring highlights of the September 24 rally. 

October 20, 2008: The 2008 third quarter edition of the Focus mentioned this Resolution in its report on the MCC AGM. The Focus magazine goes out to 10,000 businesses and community leaders across Manitoba.

Developments (additions since last report are in italics):

March 27, 2008: An editorial from the Winnipeg Free Press included the following:

[Hog producers] are outraged because the moratorium was promulgated without any scientific basis and in defiance of a report from the Clean Environment Commission, which ruled recently that the industry was sustainable, providing a long list of recommendations was implemented.

….

The province claimed the CEC report showed the industry was not environmentally sustainable in the areas where the ban was imposed, but the report, in fact, does not support that conclusion. ‘Environmental sustainability is achievable, but it cannot be put off into the future,” the 188-page report states. It noted that the government and hog producers must work together over the next five years to resolve several problems, including the question of nutrient or phosphorus loading into rivers and lakes caused by manure production.

The council says producers are willing to make the necessary improvements, but the government does not seem interested in working with them.

Michael Trevan, the dean of the University of Manitoba’s faculty of agriculture, has lanmbast6ed the province for its decision, which he said was irrational and not based on the report itself or any other scientific dat. He went so far as to say that if every hog was eliminated in Manitoba, it wouldn’t make much difference to the water quality in Lake Winnipeg.

….

The public expects politicians to play politics, but it is an abuse of power to play the game in blatant disregard of a scientific report and on the backs of an industry that wants to be a good environmental citizen. 

June 7, 2008: A Winnipeg Free Press article by Bruce Owen entitled “Hog-ban stinks, farmers tell committee: Marathon hearing gives angry producers their 10 minutes to vent” reports that the Bill affecting this matter has been put over to the fall and will be passed into law by October 9, 2008.

The article also contained the following:

What will happen to Bill 17 between now and Labour Day is anyone’s guess because it also could be amended.

Conservation Minister Stan Struthers was non-committal on that question.

‘I have a lot more listening to do,’ he said Friday. ‘My job is to listen to presenters on Bill 17.’

July 14, 2008: The Progressive Conservatives issues a news release entitled “Key Municipality Backing Bill 17 Backs Off: R.M. of DeSalaberry to withdraw support in letter to government.” According to the release “The R.M. of DeSalaberry originally supported the bill but at a recent council meeting, voted to send a letter to three government ministries outlining why they no longer do.”

July 28, 2008: The Minster of Conservation wrote to the MCC on this issue. That correspondence contained the following:

I am implementing the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) report and its 48 recommendations on the environmental sustainability of hog production in Manitoba. In response to this report I also announced three regional moratoriums on new or expanding hog operations. The three areas are as follows: 1) Red River Valley Special Management Area; 2) Interlake; and 3) Southeastern Manitoba. In each of these regions, we are acting because it is clear that continued expansion puts water quality at risk in those areas of Manitoba. During the Committee Stage, the content of a bill is reviewed in detail and public participation is allowed. We heard from 315 presenters during this stage. The Bill will be presented for Third Reading in the fall before becoming law. Until then, the regional moratoriums remain in place. 

July 31, 2008: The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives wrote to the MCC on this issue. The Minister’s correspondence included the following:

I want to stress that the purpose of the moratorium on new developments in certain areas of the province is to reduce the potential for nutrient loading of waterways in areas with high densities of livestock and to re-direct industry expansion to low livestock density areas, such as those in central and western Manitoba. The intent is to support sustainable growth in the industry. The Manitoba government has provided very significant infrastructure support to enhance processing capacity in both Brandon and Neepawa in recent months as part of this plan and significant financial support to the industry to support producers facing challenging economic circumstances.

As you are no doubt aware, the public hearings regarding Bill 17 have recently concluded after input from a wide range of Manitobans. Their comments will be carefully considered prior to third and final reading on this Bill during the sitting of the legislature in the fall. The Manitoba government is charged with protecting the interests of all its citizens and therefore the needs of producers, industry and other Manitobans who use our water resources must be balanced to ensure the best possible outcome for future generations.

My department will also be providing an initial $2.3 million this year through a Nutrient Management Financial Assistance Program to help livestock producers comply with the new phosphorous regulations. The program will fund soil testing, nutrient management planning, improvements to manure storage and implementation of manure treatment systems to better manage the nutrients in manure as fertilizer.

September 16, 2008: The Minister of Conservation is quoted in both the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press as rejecting the “zero percent solution.”

September 24, 2008: The government passes Bill 17 without amendment.

October 9, 2008: Bill 17 receives Royal Assent and becomes law. 

November 10, 2008: The Minister of Conservation writes to the MCC as follows:

I would like to clarify the suggestion that an increase in animal units would not be allowed in the moratorium areas.

Producers who wish to expand their pig operations within the three regional areas identified in the bill must implement special measures to ensure management of the manure is environmentally sustainable. Section 40.1(2)(a) provides direction to producers who wish to expand operations within the affected regions. New technology that would have to be adopted by the expanding operation includes anaerobic digestion that is designed in an acceptable manner or another similar or better environmentally sound treatment system.

November 25-26, 2008: The Association of Manitoba Municipalities passed a Resolution on this matter at its AGM. The Resolution, entitled ‘Hog Moratorium’, states as follows:

WHEREAS the Minister of Conservation has announced a moratorium regarding the expansion of the hog industry in a large area of eastern and central Manitoba;

AND WHEREAS the Province has singled out the hog industry;

AND WHEREAS the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) report on the issue did not recommend a continuation of the hog moratorium;

AND WHEREAS the livestock industry should be subjected to farming policies that are viable, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible; i.e. based on scientific principles and objective criteria;

AND WHEREAS the hog industry is making a significant contribution to the rural economy and the moratorium undermines this contribution and stifles community growth;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the AMM lobby the Province of Manitoba to discontinue the hog moratorium and enforce standards for the livestock industry that are based on sound agronomic and environmental policies and that are socially responsible

Current Status (additions since last report are in italics):

January 27, 2009: This Resolution seems to have failed.