| Province "Strands" Cattle Producers |
| Written by Kelvin Heppner | |
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Cattle producers are frustrated, even outraged, with the lack of government response to the excess moisture situation. "It's a pretty unfair playing field if the grain producers get help, and we're not disputing that they need it, but we certainly feel we're being left behind just because we're cattle producers," says Manitoba Cattle Producers Association president Major Jay Fox, referring to the 30 dollars-per-acre going to grain producers with flooded or unseeded crop land. "We have producers in disastrous situations, yet there has been no assistance or relief package forthcoming." Only 25 percent of pasture land is usable on some farms in the Interlake, Westlake and Parkland regions. MCPA has put forward a proposal to the province. The proposal calls for a freight assistance program to help producers who will be forced to transport feed long distances. Fox says they're also asking for a per head or per acre payment to help reestablish damaged pasture and hay land. Fox says the province's "wait and see approach" is stranding producers. "Wait and see will work in some areas but the really hard hit areas need to have this announcement as soon as possible. We would like to see it within the first couple weeks of August." |
