Interlake livestock producers sound alarm amid disastrous drought in Manitoba
Livestock producers in the Interlake are calling for immediate help from the provincial and federal governments to deal with the extreme drought.
Nearly 100 producers gathered for a rally west of Teulon Wednesday to bring attention to the issue.
Orval Procter, a councillor for the R.M. of Woodlands and a beef producer, helped organize the rally.
He said producers want financial assistance and more Crown land and Wildlife Management Areas opened for haying and grazing.
“The hay and stuff, you don’t know where it’s going to come from,” Procter said. “Some of the land here hasn’t been hayed for 10 years. It may not be the best but every eight bales of hay can save a cow.”
Producers said dugouts have dried up, grazing land and hay crops have been decimated, in part by grasshoppers and cattle prices are down.
Many have already started liquidating their herds, fearing they won’t be able to feed their animals
“Anything that I have to sell is going to be worth nothing,” Procter said.
John Dyck raises 125 head of cattle west of Teulon. He showed CTV News Winnipeg dried up dugouts on his land, which means he has to haul water three times a day to keep his herd hydrated.
“We had water until 10 days ago. We have three dugouts here and they’re all dry,” Dyck said. “When we get to the yard, you can see the grass — it’s like pavement.”
Conservative MP James Bezan, Liberal MLA Jon Gerrard and NDP MLA Diljeet Brar were in attendance and joined organizers on a tour of the area.
The politicians told attendees they’re pushing provincial and federal agriculture ministers to come up with aid and assistance to help producers in all sectors.
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau told CTV News she will be in Manitoba this week to meet with families in the Interlake region.
"This extreme weather is causing extreme stress for many farm families, and my main message to them is that our Government is here to help and respond as fast as we can," Bibeau said in a statement.
Bibeau said prairie provinces have requested an AgriRecovery disaster relief program.
"Federal and provincial officials are now working together to do the assessments and design those programs province-by-province," she said.
"We are working around the clock to turn those around as quickly as possible to help farmers with extraordinary costs they face."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.