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SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 74, No. 17 | $1.75

April 28, 2016

Grain transport emergency provisions extended

manitobacooperator.ca

Farmers welcome a premier with rural roots

Brian Pallister grew up on the family farm near Edwin and still has relatives farming

Provisions that were set to expire August 1 have been extended another full year BY ALEX BINKLEY Co-operator contributor

T

he federal government is extending emergency grain-shipping provisions for another year. The provisions, which included weekly mandatory minimum grain-hauling levels, compensation to shippers for failing to provide service and extended interswitching that encourage competition, were set to expire August 1 with the end of the current crop year. Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said in a joint statement the move will allow the government more time to consult stakeholders, including farm groups and “... allow the various participants in the commodity and railway system to plan for the upcoming year under predictable conditions.” Gary Stanford, Grain Growers of Canada president, welcomed the move because it will give “both government and producers See TRANSPORT on page 7 »

Manitoba premier-elect Brian Pallister grew up on a farm near Edwin, Man., and that could make him a sympathetic audience on farm issues.   PHOTO: Dave Bedard

BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff / Portage la Prairie

Publication Mail Agreement 40069240

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a n i t o b a’s e l e c t o r a l m a p turned blue April 19, and that could help rural and agricultural Manitoba, according to the head of the province’s general farm organization. Da n Ma z i e r s t re s s e d t h a t t h e Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is non-partisan, but added that the new premier-elect’s rural roots growing up on a farm near Edwin likely won’t hurt the cause of agriculture.

“Br i a n Pa l l i s t e r, o u r p re m i e relect, is from rural Manitoba,” Dan Mazier, who farms near Justice, said in an interview during KAP’s quarterly advisory council meeting here April 20. “I think that really helps us out. His roots are there. I think that will bode well for anybody in rural Manitoba.” Pallister and his PCs coasted to an easy victory election night, garnering the largest majority in the province’s history with 40 seats, including many former NDP rural strongholds in the Interlake and northwest. Among their victories were the Swan River seat of

Ron Kostyshyn, the incumbent agriculture minister. A f t e r 1 7 ye a r s i n p owe r Gre g Selinger’s NDP was reduced to just 14 seats, and the Manitoba Liberals captured just three seats, a disappointing result as many party members were anticipating a breakthrough headed into the campaign.

Perimiter-itis While KAP never publicly complained that the previous NDP government, which held power for almost 17 years, See PREMIER on page 6 »

POTATOES: Using local seed slows disease » PAGE 17


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